Washington - Event

Celebrate Easter with thousands of others on the South Lawn of the White House. This annual Easter egg-hunting tradition dates back to 1878 and is the largest public celebration at the White House - you might even spot President Obama there.

Started by President Rutherford B Hayes, since then Presidents and their families have enjoyed the White House's largest public celebration, and it has been customary for Presidents, First Ladies, their children, grandchildren and pets to attend the festivities. Among the most eagerly anticipated guests each year, of course, is the Easter Bunny.

The White House Easter Bunny, usually a White House staffer dressed in a special rabbit suit, was introduced by Pat Nixon, wife of President Richard Nixon, in 1969. Strict guidelines prohibit the bunny from being seen without his costume head, but the identity of the staffer inside is revealed every once in a while. Perhaps the most famous bunny of all was the wife of President Reagan's Attorney General Edwin Meese III. Ursula Meese so enjoyed the role that she performed for six seasons, earning her the nickname "the Meester Bunny".