‘We’re finally together again’: Joe and Jill Biden celebrate return of White House Easter egg roll after pandemic hiatus

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on Monday welcomed approximately 30,000 guests to their backyard for the return of the annual White HouseEaster Egg Roll, the largest event the Bidens have hosted there since moving in amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Biden, whose office organised the event, chose this year’s theme of “EGGucation” — a nod to her background as a teacher — to honour what she described as “the determined spirit of education” by turning the South Lawn into a “school community,” complete with a “reading nook” where children could hear books read aloud to them, and a “physical eggucation” area with basketball and soccer equipment.

Standing on the Blue Room balcony and flanked by two Easter Bunnies — including the bespectacled rabbit with a penchant for waistcoats whose perpetually shocked expression made him a darling of comedians during the Trump administration – Mr and Dr Biden both said they were “excited” to welcome the throngs of children and families to the White House for the first time during Mr Biden’s presidency.

After Dr Biden bid the crowd welcome “to [their house — the people’s house,” Mr Biden quipped that his job was to keep rain from falling during his remarks.

“We weren't able to host this Easter Egg Roll last year because of the pandemic, but this year — this year —we're finally getting together again, and it's so special,” Mr Biden said, adding that it “means so much” to him to “see and hear the children and all the families show up to be here today”.

“The joy and the laughter is something that has been a wonderful tradition here at the White House for a long, long time,” he said.

The annual event dates back to the 1870s, when then-president Rutherford Hayes welcomed area children to the White House lawn to roll hard-boiled easter eggs after Congress closed the Capitol Hill grounds to the practice.

In 1932, rubber eggs — which bounced more easily on the grass and sidewalks while leaving no broken shells behind — came into use. The wooden eggs bearing presidential signatures now associated with the event as souvenirs were first distributed by then-president and first lady Ronald and Nancy Reagan at the 1981 edition of the easter egg roll, and that tradition has been continued by the Bidens, who will be gifting attendees with souvenir eggs bearing their signatures, as well as a paw print from their German Shepherd puppy, Commander.

Before concluding his remarks, Mr Biden thanked the White House Historical Association, National Park Service, and the National Egg Board — the event’s sponsor — for the “hard work” each put in to make Monday’s festivities possible and asked the crowd for a round of applause before wishing them to have fun at the event.

“Welcome to the White House,” he said. “Welcome to your house”.