Itnwould be pretty amazing to see 35,000 people coming together to rollnEaster eggs on somebody’s lawn!
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nEvennif that “somebody” were the President of the United States!
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ThenWhite House Easter Egg Roll involves children racing down a markednlane, pushing a decorated hard-boiled egg through the grass with anlong-handled spoon. Of course, there are other activities offered innaddition to the Easter egg roll. There are games, stories, and evenncooking demonstrations.
ThenWhite House Easter Egg Roll involves children racing down a markednlane, pushing a decorated hard-boiled egg through the grass with anlong-handled spoon. Of course, there are other activities offered innaddition to the Easter egg roll. There are games, stories, and evenncooking demonstrations.n
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nChecknout the official White House page, which includes an activity booknyou can download and videos of highlights of past years’ egg rolls.
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nWhonstarted the White House Easter Egg Roll?
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nDuringnAndrew Johnson’s presidency, just after the Civil War, groups of kidsndid egg-rolling on the grounds of the Capitol. (Actually, somensources say that kids rolled eggs on the Capitol grounds as early asn1814, at the invitation of First Lady Dolley Madison.) At any rate,nsome members of Congress (probably cranky old men) got upset thatnkids were messing up their lawn. In 1877, when a new lawn was put in,negg rolling on the lawn was prohibited; Congress even passed a lawnmaking it illegal to use the Capitol’s grounds as “a children’snplayground.”
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nSomenkids asked the president at the time, Rutherford Hayes, if they mightnnot use the White House lawn. (He had kids of his own, and they mightnhave been the kids bold enough to ask this question!) He and his wifengave permission, and so in 1878 a tradition was born.
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Althoughnegg toss and egg croquet and other activities have been added to thenEaster Monday event, rolling decorated hard boiled eggs is the focus.nThis year will be the 135th White House Egg Roll. In antradition started by the Reagans, kids who participate get ancommemorative wooden egg with signatures of the President and FirstnLady (and some with paw prints of Bo, the First Dog!).
Althoughnegg toss and egg croquet and other activities have been added to thenEaster Monday event, rolling decorated hard boiled eggs is the focus.nThis year will be the 135th White House Egg Roll. In antradition started by the Reagans, kids who participate get ancommemorative wooden egg with signatures of the President and FirstnLady (and some with paw prints of Bo, the First Dog!).n
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nAlson on this date:
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nNational Kite Month
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nApril Fool’s Day
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nMathematiciannSophie Germain’s birthday
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nDyngus Day
