- This event has passed.
Happy Easter!
March 31
An event every year that begins at 12:00 am on the first Sunday of April, happening 2 times
Today is Easter, the holiest day of the year for Christians, who on this day celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In America, several Easter traditions have roots in the Old World. The Easter bunny was reportedly introduced by Pennsylvania German immigrants in the 1700s who retold the story of an egg-laying rabbit.
Easter candy is a more modern tradition, with chocolate eggs first becoming popular in 1800s Europe. Marshmallow Peeps are even newer, introduced in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania by the Just Born company in the 1950s.
Easter lilies, too, are a relatively recent addition to the holiday in America – though lilies were introduced to England from Japan in the 1700s, they did not catch hold in America until after World War I.
The White House Easter Egg Roll first took place in 1878 during the Rutherford B. Hayes administration. The event continues to this day, with the First Family inviting children to the White House lawn for a party every Easter Monday.
Easter table, Aleksandr Makovsky, c. 1915 (Tver Regional Picture Gallery)
-Written by Anna Zemaitaitis, Communications and Design Officer
