Washington (EFE).- As is tradition, the president of the United States, Joe Biden, and the first lady, Jill Biden, opened the White House gardens this Monday so that thousands of children could play Easter egg races .
Every Easter Monday, the presidential residence hosts the famous “Easter Egg Roll”, a children’s game in which children look for colored eggs and then push them to a finish line with the help of a wooden spoon.
It is said that this tradition, interrupted for two years by the covid-19 pandemic, was started by President Rutherford Hayes (1877-1881), who in 1878 opened the doors for the first time to a group of children after Congress ban playing on the Capitol lawn.
On this spring Monday, it was Joe and Jill Biden who, together with the vice president, Kamala Harris, and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, welcomed the new generations.
“What I see here is a country of possibilities. Anything is possible in the United States if we remember who we are,” Biden declared from the balcony of the South Portico of the White House, escorted by two entertainers dressed as Easter bunnies.
A space for children and education at the White House
The president spent a few minutes greeting and taking photos with the children and even acted as referee in some of the races blowing the whistle.
Although if there is someone in the presidential residence who has a real hand for children, it is the first lady, who was a high school teacher for adolescents with special needs and an English teacher.
“As First Lady and as a teacher, I have seen many times that learning doesn’t just happen in the classroom. There are many other opportunities to learn every day, ”said Jill Biden in her welcome message, who then read a story to the children.
She was in charge of designing the tour and activities through the gardens of the presidential residence, where 30,000 guests were expected to attend throughout the day, including thousands of military children.
Not only were there Easter egg races, but an area for school and sports activities, a reading corner and a food tent were also set up.
In addition, NASA sent some eggs to the International Space Station to teach children, through videos, how gravity works.
The “Easter Egg Roll” was suspended for two years due to the covid-19 pandemic, but the Bidens resumed the tradition in 2021.