White House Easter Egg Roll.Photo: Photo © Getty Images

White-House-Easter.jpg

A lottery is now open for families to attend the White House Easter egg roll, an annual event that features games, storytelling and a traditional egg hunt — plus appearances from the president, first lady, and Easter bunny.

The event — one of the oldest traditions in White House history — will take place on the South Lawn on Monday, April 1, and the Bidens have officially opened ticket requests for the annual festivities.

US President Joe Biden, alongside First Lady Jill Biden and two Easter bunnies, waves after speaking at the annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 10, 2023. - The theme of this year’s Easter Egg Roll is “EGGucation”. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

How to Get Tickets to the White House Easter Egg Roll

While tickets are free to the public, they are distributed viaan online public lotterythat begins Monday, Feb. 26, and closes on Monday, March 4, at noon ET.

Winners will be randomly selected and notified via email on or after Monday, March 11.

The annual event is geared toward children 12 years of age and younger and tickets are not available for sale or resale.

President Obama Hosts White House Easter Egg Roll

The History of the White House Easter Egg Roll

According to the White House, the annual event debuted in the 1870s, when Capitol Hill became a popular place for children to roll eggs on the Monday after Easter. But as more and more children congregated in the area, often rolling themselves down the hill with the eggs, the grounds grew damaged and Congress, in 1876, passed a law forbidding children from using the area as a playground.

So, in 1878, President Rutherford B. Hayes issued an order allowing children to roll their Easter egg on the White House grounds, instead — launching a tradition that continues today.

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Both the 2022 and 2023 events leaned heavily into thetheme of education, and included a reading nook, talent show, snack time tent and more.

According to the White House, some 30,000 people take part in the annual Easter festivities, though the 2020 and 2021 events were bothcanceled due to COVID-19.

source: people.com