Politics

Barack and Michelle Obama Wish 'Joy and Light' to Others as They Celebrate Easter with Throwback Photos

Barack Obama marked Easter with a throwback photo of the couple with their daughters

Published on April 4, 2021 02:30 PM

The Obamas are celebrating Easter with messages of hope and love.

On Sunday, Barack and Michelle Obama marked Easter with separate social media posts, in which they both wished their followers a happy holiday while also spreading positivity.

The former president, 59, shared a throwback photo of he and his wife, 57, with their daughters Malia, 22, and Sasha, 19, writing, "This Easter, I hope we can all take some time to reflect on the blessings we enjoy and the hope we have for a brighter future. From our family to yours, have a safe and happy Easter."

Mrs. Obama, meanwhile, shared a sweet collage of photos of the couple together at the White House Easter Egg Roll event in 2016. "Barack and I are wishing so much joy and light to everyone celebrating on this Easter Sunday!" she wrote.

The couple, who have been married since 1992, has spent much of the past year in quarantine with their two daughters. They celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary last October.

In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Mrs. Obama opened up about how Malia, now a Harvard University senior, and Sasha, a University of Michigan sophomore, returned home to live with them after the girls' classes were switched to remote due to the ongoing pandemic

"There's something about witnessing your children become adults and developing a different relationship with them," she told PEOPLE. "They didn't come back into the house into the same set of rules, because I didn't want them to miss out on independence. They came back as young women and our conversations are more peer-oriented than they are mother-to-daughter."

Barack Obama valentine's day message to family — The Obamas. Barack Obama/Instagram

Despite the pandemic keeping them at home, the couple has stayed busy with their individual endeavors: the former president talks candidly in a new podcast with Bruce Springsteen, while the former first lady, who also hosts her own podcast, released her memoir Becoming and stars in Waffles + Mochi on Netflix.

In addition, they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 — and are publicly urging others to do the same. "I encourage everyone to get a vaccine as soon as they have an opportunity," Mrs. Obama told PEOPLE. "There is light at the end of the tunnel."