The start of the traditional Easter egg roll at the White House was delayed for 90 minutes on Monday as angry storm clouds delivered thunder, lightning, and a dusting of light rain on the assembled guests.
AP reports more than 40,000 people — 10,000 more than last year — were expected to play a part in the festivities and coax hard-boiled eggs across the lawn to a finish line.
This year’s theme ignores the Christian faith which underlies Easter and is instead tagged as “EGG-ucation” and led by Jill Biden, with the White House specifying children could not submit Easter eggs featuring religious artwork for competition, as Breitbart News reported.
That move came in the wake of President Joe Biden drawing criticism for saluting the “Transgender Day of Visibility” on Easter Sunday.
So they feared the LORD but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations.
— 2 Kings 17:33 pic.twitter.com/q4vnO9wDRu
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) March 31, 2024
The restrictions list declared, “The Submission must not include any questionable content, religious symbols, overtly religious themes, or partisan political statements.”
White House Easter Egg Roll still under a weather relay … this is before the lightning started this morning. Guests are being held in a nearby tent. 🐣 Estimated restart 9-9:30. pic.twitter.com/JW7E4YX9hj
— Juliana Valencia (@NewsJValencia) April 1, 2024
The egg roll is an annual tradition first held in 1878, and various stations on the South Lawn and Ellipse were meant to help children learn about farming, healthier eating, exercise and more, the AP report notes.
Egg roll guests this year included thousands of military and veteran families, their caregivers and survivors. Members of the general public claimed tickets through an online lottery and were being admitted in nine waves until the evening.
Meanwhile, inflation and supply chain issues in Biden’s America are making the price of the eggs themselves (along with chocolate) rise, Breitbart News noted Friday.