U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden hosted the Easter bunny from the Truman Balcony of the White House on Monday.
Usually, the White House hosts and annual Easter egg roll, but those plans were scrapped for the second year in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first couple still tried to maintain the Easter spirit by delivering brief remarks for the holiday.
This year’s rabbit was played by the president’s military aide, Air Force Lt. Col. Brandon Westling.
“We look forward to next year when the White House will ring with joy the season once again and there will be an Easter Egg Roll again, God willing,” Biden said.
The event, which is normally held the day after Easter, usually hosts 30,000 children and parents. This year, the Bidens sent out thousands of 2021 commemorative Easter Egg Roll eggs to vaccination sites and local hospitals instead.
President Rutherford B. Hayes started the White House egg roll tradition in 1878.
