Everybody have a good time hunting Easter potatoes this weekend?
Christians around the world celebrated Easter over the weekend, and yesterday the White House welcomed thousands of families to Pennsylvania Avenue as President Donald Trump hosted the annual White House Easter Egg Roll.
The Easter Egg Roll is a tradition that officially dates back to 1878 with President Rutherford B. Hayes, although egg rolling parties may have dated all the way back to Abraham Lincoln.
According to the White House website, the tradition got started
“In 1878, a group of bold children walked up to the White House gate, hoping to be allowed to play egg-rolling games there. President Hayes told his guards to let the children enter, and soon Easter Monday on the White House grounds became an annual tradition.”
The Easter Egg Roll has grown into such a large event that it’s now attended by children from all 50 states, and tickets must be requested via an online lottery for those hoping to attend.
During the event, children compete in Easter egg races, get a custom wooden Easter egg, and even get to spend time coloring with the President of the United States.
And although it’s not a partisan event, Democrats couldn’t help but try to get a shot in at President Trump over the annual children’s festivities.
On social media, the Democrat National Committee took aim at the cost of the event, claiming that Americans were forced to resort to dying potatoes this Easter because eggs are so expensive.
The bizarre claim appears to reference a New York Times article from earlier this month that contains one single sentence to back up its claim that Americans are dying potatoes:
“Videos on how to dye marshmallows, potatoes and even onions have begun to circulate on social media and news websites.”
And it also appears that the videos on how to dye potatoes have been going around on TikTok for years now, with creators citing the fact that they don’t break and won’t stink if they’re not found as benefits for switching from eggs.
Here are a couple videos from 2023:
@plantbasedonabudget You’ve gotta try these dyed potatoes for Easter! I bought a 10 pound bag for $5 and dyed them with food dye in a similar way that you’d dye eggs (using the whole bottle of dye). It’s just as fun, much cheaper, they don’t break, and they won’t stink up your yard if you miss one! Tag a friend who could try this! 💚 Also, don’t forget to check out the Plant-Based on a Budget Quick & Easy cookbook for more budget-friendly ideas! #budgetfriendly #easter #eastereggs #happyeaster #budgethacks #budgettips #vegan #plantbasedonabudget
@asparkleofgenius Potato Easter Egg Dying: Alternative Easter egg dying Idea #potatoeasteregg #potatoeaster #dyedpotatoes #dyedeastereggpotatoes #easterpotato
@asparkleofgenius Potato Easter Egg Dying: Alternative Easter egg dying Idea #potatoeasteregg #potatoeaster #dyedpotatoes #dyedeastereggpotatoes #easterpotato
It’s a pretty big jump to say that because there are videos online about how to dye potatoes, Americans are all of a sudden dying potatoes en masse to save money. The article even cites a survey that found 90% of customers who celebrate Easter still planned on dying eggs:
“A survey of 9,000 PAAS consumers found 90 percent of consumers who celebrate Easter and typically dye eggs planned on doing so despite costs and 54 percent plan to never stop.”
So when the Democrats claimed that Americans were being forced to dye potatoes instead, they were quickly mocked by people who had no idea what they were talking about:
It’s an absolutely ridiculous claim for Democrats to make, but in any event, if they’re worried about the cost of eggs, they’ll no doubt be happy to learn that not only was the White House Easter Egg Roll sponsored by several tech companies, but all of the eggs were donated.
But if anybody actually dyed potatoes to save money I would love to hear about it – because I’m not convinced that there’s anybody who exists.
