Scenes From Historic Presidential Easter Egg Rolls
16 PHOTOS
Apr 2, 2018
Published Mar 30, 2018 at 9:48 AM | Updated at 3:46 PM PDT on Apr 2, 2018
The first annual White House Easter Egg Roll was held on April 22, 1878 after President Rutherford B. Hayes agreed to open the White House grounds on Easter Monday to children who want to roll Easter eggs.
In April 1889 President Benjamin Harrison added music to the Easter Egg Roll, ordering the United States Marine Band to play lively tunes while the children romped on the South Lawn.
The festivities were suspended during World War I in 1918 and between 1943 and 1945 during WWII.
In April 1969 the tradition of an official White House Easter Bunny was born when one of First Lady Pat Nixon's staff members put on a white jumpsuit and Peter Rabbit mask and shook children’s hands along the South Lawn’s circular driveway.
