Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters] – President Joe Biden joined first lady Jill Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris to launch the White House Easter Egg Roll. It is the second year of a tradition started in 1878.

“Ready, set, go!” Biden called out and gave a whistle for the start of the festivities. Children raced to roll pastel-colored egg down the South Lawn with long-handled spoons.

The event was attended by 30,000 people, including adults and children. Even light rain didn’t dampen it. Many high-ranking administration officials attended the egg roll including White House press secretary Jen Psaki as well as Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Biden, who was speaking on the White House balcony alongside Mrs. Biden (and two others in Easter Bunny costumes), said: “My job is keep it from raining for an additional two minutes.”

While Harris blew a whistle to launch a wave of egg rollers, the Bidens went to another a section of the lawn to read a children’s book, “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” They were soon joined by NBC’s “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon, who read aloud his children’s book, “Nana Loves You More.”

The event’s theme was “egg-ucation”, and South Lawn was created with education in mind. Jill Biden works as a faculty member at a community colleges.

Egg roll events are a long-standing tradition that was started by Rutherford B. Hayes, then President of the United States. In 2020 and 2021, the egg roll event was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.