Official White House Easter Eggs Available Online Only Following White House Easter Egg Roll Cancellation; Historical Information on Past Cancellations in Times of National Emergency
Washington, D.C. —
The Official 2020 White House Easter Eggs, created and available exclusively by the White House Historical Association, will be sold online only at shop.whitehousehistory.org, following the cancellation of the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, and the closure of the Association’s shops.
“The decision announced this morning by the First Lady regarding the cancellation of the 2020 White House Easter Egg Roll is in the best interest of the health and safety of all involved,” said Stewart McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association. “The White House Historical Association will continue to offer the historic wooden eggs to commemorate this important annual event. These beautiful eggs, hand-crafted in America, can be obtained through our website. You can also find important information on the history of the Egg Roll, including times of national emergency in the past when the event was cancelled.”
More About the Official 2020 White House Easter Eggs
The Official White House Easter Eggs are used in the White House Easter Egg Roll and are historically given to children who attend the event. The eggs are sold in gold and four spring colors: blue, green, pink, yellow and metallic gold – and feature the signatures of the President and First Lady. The special edition metallic gold egg features the presidential seal. Other eggs include an image of the South Portico of the White House.
See high-res images of the Official White House Easter Eggs.
More about the Annual White House Easter Egg Roll and Past Cancellations
- The tradition of the White House Egg Roll, which is one of the oldest in White House history, began in the 1878 when President Rutherford B. Hayes opened the White House South Lawn to egg rollers, as it had previously been reserved for the First Family’s private Easter activities.
- There were times when the Egg Roll was either moved off the White House Grounds or cancelled. In 1917, the event was shifted to the grounds near the Washington Monument. During World War I, President Woodrow Wilson suspended the Egg Roll; Franklin Roosevelt did the same during World War II; and Harry Truman continued this policy after the war because of food rationing and the renovation of the White House (1948-1952).
- President Dwight Eisenhower and First Lady Mamie Eisenhower restored the annual Egg Roll to the White House Grounds in 1953.
Learn more about the origins of the Egg Roll and see a timeline of significant dates.
Download historic high-res images of the White House Egg Roll
(Please credit the White House Historical Association when using information and photos).
For media inquiries, please contact press@whha.org.
P.D.F. Resources
Download the PDFAbout the White House Historical Association
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy envisioned a restored White House that conveyed a sense of history through its decorative and fine arts. She sought to inspire Americans, especially children, to explore and engage with American history and its presidents. In 1961, the nonprofit, nonpartisan White House Historical Association was established to support her vision to preserve and share the Executive Mansion’s legacy for generations to come. Supported entirely by private resources, the Association’s mission is to assist in the preservation of the state and public rooms, fund acquisitions for the White House permanent collection, and educate the public on the history of the White House. Since its founding, the Association has given more than $115 million to the White House in fulfillment of its mission.
To learn more about the White House Historical Association, please visit WhiteHouseHistory.org.