Congress’s Role in the Creation of the White House Easter Egg Roll

Each year, children are invited to celebrate Easter Monday with the president at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. This beloved tradition was actually started in response to congressional action that put an end to Easter Monday celebrations outside the U.S. Capitol.

In 1876, Congress passed “An act to protect the public property, turf and grass of the Capitol Grounds from injury.” This law made it the duty of the United States Capitol Police to protect the Capitol grounds by prohibiting the grounds from “being used as play grounds or otherwise.”

Before the law was enacted, children would come to the Capitol grounds to celebrate Easter Monday, but Congress was concerned about the time and money required to restore the grounds afterward. Senator Morrill of Vermont explained the reasoning behind his support of the measure:

I suppose the great pleasure of seeing ten thousand children here on Easter Monday, as was witnessed this week and in previous years, has prevented the police from doing their duty; but at the same time, if Senators will notice the injury done, it will be seen to amount to thousands of dollars. This grass cannot be restored for many months, and some of it could not be restored without being replaced by new turf. Although it is a very great pleasure to see these children enjoying themselves here on Easter Monday, it is deemed important that we should protect the grounds.

The prohibition on the use of the Capitol grounds as a playground became law on April 29, 1876, putting an end to the Easter Monday tradition. However, in 1878, President Rutherford B. Hayes issued an order opening the grounds to children who wished to roll their Easter eggs on the White House lawn on Easter Monday.

The law prohibiting the use of the Capitol grounds as a playground is still on the books today, but the White House also continues to make its lawn available for the Easter festivities.

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