2021 White House Easter Egg Roll Decision On Hold

WASHINGTON, DC — The White House is waiting to make a decision on whether to hold the annual Easter Egg Roll on the Monday after Easter.

Officials want to receive guidance from health officials on the safety of bringing children and their parents to the White House grounds before making a decision on holding the in-person event.

The 2020 Easter Egg Roll was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The White House said it plans to announce in the coming weeks the status of this year’s White House Easter Egg Roll, which would be held on Monday, April 5.

The White House Easter Egg Roll has been a tradition since 1878. Held on the South Lawn on the Monday after Easter, the White House invites thousands of children to participate in egg rolling and other activities.

“In 1878, President Rutherford B. Hayes issued an order that if any children should come to the White House to roll their Easter eggs, they would be allowed to do so,” the National Park Service says on its website.

Each year, souvenir wooden eggs are distributed to children attending the in-person Easter Egg Roll. The commemorative eggs are also made available for purchase online, whether the Egg Roll is held in person or not.

In past years, a free ticket lottery was held online so that families across the county could have an opportunity to attend the Easter Egg Roll. Information about a 2021 Easter Egg Roll lottery will be posted on the White House website when more is known about the status of the event.