The White House hosts an annual Easter Egg Hunt each April. It is actually called an Easter Egg Roll and dates back to 1878. It is is an event designed to encourage children and their families to come outdoors and celebrate the start of the spring season.

The White House opens the South Lawn to children age 10 and under and their families to enjoy the traditional Easter egg roll.

To participate in the White House Easter Egg Roll you must acquire tickets. A maximum of six tickets will be issued per order and it appears that there is no charge for the tickets. There must be at least one child ten years old or under and there can be no more than two adults per group. Tickets are now being distributed online so more families have the opportunity to participate. If you have a problem obtaining tickets online you can call the visitors office 24-hour information line at 202-456-7041.

The 2009 White House Easter Egg Roll will take place on Monday, April 13, 2009 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the South Lawn of the White House. Talented performers, special guests and thousands of visitors from all over the country are expected to attend.

The original site of the Easter Egg Roll was actually the grounds of the United States Capitol. The first egg rolls were held during the Andrew Johnson administration. Children of the President's family dyed eggs on Sunday for the Monday rolling. Everyone enjoyed the festivities as the children rolled their hard boiled eggs down the hills at the capitol.

Overtime the egg rolling fun took it toll on the lawns of the capitol and the annual egg event was moved to the South Lawn.

Other Easter egg activities have been added to the annual event but rolling a hard-boiled egg across the lawn is still a highlight of the day.

You can now purchase a souvenir White House Easter Egg Roll eggs from the National Park Foundation. These eggs are wooden and expertly crafted, painted, and includes the signatures of the President and First Lady.