iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — Sunday’s annual White House Easter Egg Roll brings a day of celebration for a busy first family, as an estimated 21,000 guests descend upon the White House’s South Lawn.
The tradition originated nearly 150 years ago, when children would gather on Capitol Hill to roll eggs. Members of Congress pushed the event off the Hill in 1878, and it was moved to the president’s “backyard,” where it’s taken place nearly every year since.
Planning for the massive annual event began later than usual this year, prompting questions about whether the event was going to happen at all. Wells Wood Turning, the Maine-based manufacturer of the traditional wooden eggs given out at the event, tweeted a message that its Easter deadlines were on the horizon and that the White House should “please reach out.”
The White House Historical Association said that 40,000 of the eggs were ordered this year, with 18,000 set to be given away at the event and another 22,000 to be made available for purchase.
This year’s Easter Egg Roll will be smaller than last year’s, which drew more than 30,000 attendees.
But Stephanie Grisham, spokeswoman for first lady Melania Trump, told the Washington Post that’s by design.
“This year being our first, we’ve chosen to focus on the historic aspect of the Easter Egg Roll,” she said, adding that the first lady was concerned increased attendance would create long lines at activities for guests.
The Easter Egg Roll will feature games, costumed characters, storytelling and entertainment from boy band Bro4, the Martin Family Band and military bands.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer said tickets for the event were sent out to area schools. Other tickets were given away by lottery so families from out of the Washington, D.C., area can attend.
“We’ve done extensive community outreach to really bring a lot of the school children from the area in and it’s going to be a great day,” Spicer said. “I think we’re going to have an eggs-ellent time.”
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