Easter egg hunts in the US are not for the weary. With some having tens of thousands of eggs to find, the hunts have gotten serious. Unless you’re planning a casual game in your backyard or a neighbor’s, hunting eggs has become a bit of a competitive sport in recent years. Did you know one in Colorado was cancelled in 2012 because parents got so out of control? Seriously, people?! Jumping barriers to get into the action, even though the egg-hunt area was for children only?!
Here are some of the best Easter egg hunts in the US — and PS — they’re not JUST for kids. But please, if they are for children only (as most are), mind the rules parents (and teenagers). This is supposed to be fun for the little bunnies! Wishing you all a beautiful Spring and Happy Easter, if you celebrate.
White House Easter Egg Roll, Washington, D.C.
Each year, the First Family hosts the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. There are 35,000 people chosen by a lottery system who are the lucky invitees to join the First Family on the South Lawn for games, stories, singing, dancing, cooking demonstrations, sports, and, of course, the traditional egg roll. This year’s theme is “Hop into Healthy, Swing into Shape,” in support of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative that encourages children to lead healthy, active lives. You can follow the Easter Egg Roll on Twitter with the hashtag #EasterEggRoll and watch the event live on WhiteHouse.gov/live.
Eggstravaganza, Coconut Creek, Fla.
With 60,000 eggs up for grabs, chances are even the littlest bunnies will get lucky in the hunt. Eggstravaganza is South Florida’s largest free Easter egg hunt. The egg hunting is divided into time categories by age group. In addition to the hunt, there are refreshments and bounce houses for the kids.
Colorado’s Largest Easter Egg Hunt, Copper Mountain, Colo.
At 10 a.m. on Easter Sunday, the search for 50,000 eggs kicks off in Center Village at Copper Mountain. Billed as the largest egg hunt in Colorado, the search is divided by age group and once it’s over, there’s an Easter egg decorating party for all. For those EGGstreme youngsters 7-11 years old, check out the Center Village Egg Hunt with 50,000 eggs at 10am. Don’t worry big kids, there will be few special “Copper Eggs” for you to find hidden on the mountain. And little bitty peeps have their very own hunt around Copper’s Climbing Wall at 11am. Get a photo with the Easter Bunny at at West Lake in Center Village. We’ve have tons of EGGcellent prizes and a Noon Egg Decorating party with all of your leftover treasure.
Eggstravaganza and Helicopter Candy Drop, Crown Point, Indiana
Just an hour from Chicago, Northwest Indiana has taking the egg hunt up a notch with their always-anticipated helicopter candy drop. Thousands of pieces of sugary sweets fall from the sky for all to catch and enjoy, along with 100,000 plastic eggs that are hidden throughout the Lake County Fairgrounds (200 of the eggs hold rewards for bikes, iPods, etc). The event also features face painting, bounce houses, and of course, an appearance by the Easter Bunny. The festivities begin at 10am for children ages 12 and under, with drops scheduled for 10:10 am and 10:50 am.
Downtown LA Easter Fest at Grand Hope Park, Los Angeles
South Florida’s longest-running Easter celebration, the annual 3-day event benefits the Parent Academy. The event will feature Easter Egg Hunts with more than 50,000 eggs, stuffed with over 800 pounds of candy, toys and prizes. After the hunt, take part in the pie-eating contests, arts and crafts, an animal petting zoo, and bounce houses to work off the sugar high. We hear there will be a guest appearance this year from Babar the Elephant, Pepe the Parrot and the Easter Bunny himself. One entry into the Easter Egg Hunt is included with a child admission or a donation to the Parent Academy.
Where did the Easter Egg Hunt tradition come from anyway?
The tradition is to dye and paint chicken eggs, but today the tradition has expanded to include chocolate eggs, plastic eggs filled with candy, and just about any kind of egg – real, fake, decorated or edible can be found. Why eggs? In general, they are a traditional symbol of fertility, and rebirth. In Christian beliefs, they are a symbol of the resurrection of Christ. The practice originated in Mesopotamia during the early Christian era when eggs were stained red in memory of the blood shed from Christ at his crucifixion.
However, the practice of decorating eggshells pre-dates Christian traditions, going back to ancient Africa where 60,000 year old ostrich eggs have been found with engraved decoration. Adorned with gold and silver markings, such eggs were commonly placed in graves of the ancient Sumerians and Egyptians.
Did you know? The largest Easter egg ever made was over 25 feet high and weighed over 8,000 pounds. It was built out of choclate and marshmallow and supported by an internal steel frame.
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