My Egg-cellent Day at the White House

Think about everything you know about Easter celebrations: Beyond baskets, egg hunts, and the bunny, did you know there is a big event called the Easter Egg Roll that happens every year in our nation’s capital? Even if you have heard of the Egg Roll (and not the kind you eat!)? I bet what you might not know is that this springtime tradition has been around for more than 100 years, and it is the most popular public annual event hosted by the White House. This year there were over 30,000 thousand people gathered to celebrate the theme of “Egg-ucation,” and I happened to be one of the lucky ones to win an invite!

This opportunity is one to take advantage of because not everyone gets accepted to attend a special event like this one. In fact, did you know that to attend the White House Easter Egg Roll you have to enter a lottery and wait a few days to see if you are lucky enough to be invited? I felt like Charlie in Willy Wonka after he finally got the golden ticket when I saw I had won, and I was heading to the White House!

The Egg Roll happens on Easter Monday, and it’s best to arrive early because all visitors must pass through security, before you enter the South Lawn. Once you are in, you will find there are many sports and activities to choose from, including basketball, baseball, and soccer but the most famous game (judging by the wait in the line) is the star of the show: the Easter Egg Roll!

The Easter Egg Roll consists of children of all ages pushing a hard-boiled egg with a long-handled spoon along the grass until they reach the finish line. Just like every game there are always some players who are more competitive than others, and some players who don’t have a clue what to do! But in the end, it’s all just for fun!

For me, the area that was the most entertaining was the Physical EGG-ucation zone. I felt right at home perfecting my swing in the MLB Play Ball section and shooting a few buckets in the NBA zone. The highlight of the day was when I was able to snap a few photos in the NFL zone with Swoop (the Philadelphia Eagles mascot) and the longest-tenured member of the Eagles, Brandon Graham!

At the end of my day, I noticed that the police had closed a section of the road adjacent to the White House and I was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of the First Lady, Jill Biden with several bodyguards strolling by. I couldn’t believe that my stroke of luck had not run out even though my time certainly had. Finally, on my EGG-xit out I was handed a beautiful wooden blue egg signed by the President and the First Lady that I will keep forever to remember the very special memories from such an EGG-citing day!