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There won’t be any eggs tumbling around the White House lawn this year. The 142nd White House Easter Egg Roll, which was scheduled for April 13, is canceled “out of an abundance of caution due to Covid-19,” the White House announced Monday.
“The health and safety of Americans must be the first priority right now,” first lady Melania Trump said in a statement. “I deeply regret this cancelation, but we need to make difficult decisions in the short-term to ensure a healthy country for the long-term.”
Trump encouraged the public to listen to state and local officials and follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated guidelines recommend that organizers cancel or postpone events that consist of 50 people or more for the next eight weeks.
The tradition usually draws thousands to the White House every year, with families decorating eggs and knocking them left and right on the manicured lawn, surrounded by games and, of course, the Easter bunny.
Since its inception, the Easter Egg Roll has only been canceled due to World Wars I and II, as well as a White House renovation that took years to complete.
Cordilia James joined Washingtonian as an editorial fellow in 2020. She was previously a digital content producer at NBCWashington. Her work has also appeared in DCist and The Telegraph. Originally from Macon, Georgia, Cordilia now lives in Chevy Chase.
