Since President Rutherford B. Hayes first invited children to egg-roll on lawn, the cherished springtime event has become one of the longest held traditions at the White House.

Dating back to 1878, the Easter Egg Roll came to be shortly after Congress voted to restrict public use of the U.S. Capitol grounds. Washingtonians had traditionally to rolled brightly dyed hard-boiled eggs down the lawn with spoons to celebrate Easter Monday, according to the White House Historical Association.