Last Updated:
This year, Easter Sunday was celebrated on March 31. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
The Obama family hosted Easter celebrations at the White House from 2009 to 2017.
The former first lady of the USA, Michelle Obama, sent out Easter greetings by sharing an old video from the White House Easter celebrations. The Obama family hosted the annual Easter celebrations at the White House from 2009 to 2017, during the two terms of Barack Obama’s presidency. The clip shows the family greeting people who had come for the day-long Easter activities. It is not clear which year this video was taken, but Obama’s two daughters Sasha and Malia look much younger in the footage.
Sharing the throwback clip, Michelle Obama wrote, “From our family to yours, we hope you have a wonderful and blessed Easter!” In the video, Barack Obama could be heard addressing his guests and saying, “Hello everybody, I just want to officially welcome you to the White House Easter Egg Roll. It’s a wonderful day. What today is about having a whole lot of fun. I want to wish everybody a wonderful Easter. And we are so thrilled that all of you join us here today. So thank you all and happy Easter!”
The footage also captures Barack Obama blowing the whistle for the traditional White House Easter Egg Roll, a race in which kids roll their Easter eggs with wooden spoons across the White House lawns. This tradition dates back to 1878. Initially, this Easter Egg Roll race took place on the grounds of Capitol Hill. However, in 1876, the Capitol grounds were prohibited as playgrounds. Two years later, in 1878, the tradition was restarted by President Rutherford B. Hayes who declared that kids could roll their Easter eggs at the White House lawns.
Every year, the White House invites thousands of guests to take part in a series of Easter events. These events are hosted by the President and the first lady. While some guests get an invite from the White House, many people from the general public win an invitation via a public lottery system.
As per the White House press statement, this year, approximately 40,000 people took part in the Easter celebrations. The guests comprised “thousands of military and veteran families, caregivers and survivors”. The Easter celebrations started at 7 am and concluded at 7 pm.