Egg tossing
Encyclopedia
Egg tossing, egg toss, or egg throwing is a game
associated with Easter
. The egg was a symbol of the rebirth of the earth
in Pagan celebrations of spring and was adopted by early Christians as a symbol of the rebirth of man at Easter.
In one version of the game the idea is to toss an egg so it falls on the ground without breaking. This is possible on, for example, grassy meadows. In Germany, children invented a way to spin the egg during the toss so that it lands on its tip still spinning.
In medieval Britain
there was an egg throwing festival held in the churches at Easter. The priest would give out one hard-boiled egg which was tossed around the nave
of the church and the choirboy
who was holding the egg when the clock struck twelve would get to keep it.
Dutch children play a game called "egg sales" in which one child sells an egg to another. The new owner then throws the egg in the grass and if it doesn't break it must be returned to the seller.
Egg tossing is also known as a team competition with basically the following rules, although the exact details may vary. One member of a two-person team tosses an egg to another. If the egg does not break, they step apart and the toss is repeated. The contest continues until one egg is left unbroken. (A popular variation uses water balloons.)
On July 4, 2011, in Grangeville, Idaho
, the world record for the number of persons participating in an egg toss was set, with 2,130 persons participating.
An egg throwing feat was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records: on November 12, 1978 a Johnny Dell Foley successfully tossed a fresh hen's egg for a distance of 323 ft 2in (98.51m) to a Keith Thomas at Jewett, Texas
. The record was undefeated until at least 1999. Since 2000 the feat is no longer listed in the book.
The Hagerstown Suns
have hosted the annual National Egg Toss Championship
since 2005.
A World Egg Throwing Federation
championship is held in Swaton
, England each year on the last Sunday in June since 2006.
The 2006 and 2007 Disney Channel Games
included egg tossing games.
Game
A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements...
associated with Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
. The egg was a symbol of the rebirth of the earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
in Pagan celebrations of spring and was adopted by early Christians as a symbol of the rebirth of man at Easter.
In one version of the game the idea is to toss an egg so it falls on the ground without breaking. This is possible on, for example, grassy meadows. In Germany, children invented a way to spin the egg during the toss so that it lands on its tip still spinning.
In medieval Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
there was an egg throwing festival held in the churches at Easter. The priest would give out one hard-boiled egg which was tossed around the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
of the church and the choirboy
Choirboy
A choirboy is a boy member of a choir, also known as a treble.As a derisive slang term, it refers to a do-gooder or someone who is morally upright, in the same sense that "Boy Scout" refers to someone who is considered honorable or conscientious.- History :The use of choirboys in Christian...
who was holding the egg when the clock struck twelve would get to keep it.
Dutch children play a game called "egg sales" in which one child sells an egg to another. The new owner then throws the egg in the grass and if it doesn't break it must be returned to the seller.
Egg tossing is also known as a team competition with basically the following rules, although the exact details may vary. One member of a two-person team tosses an egg to another. If the egg does not break, they step apart and the toss is repeated. The contest continues until one egg is left unbroken. (A popular variation uses water balloons.)
On July 4, 2011, in Grangeville, Idaho
Grangeville, Idaho
Grangeville is the largest city in and the county seat of Idaho County, Idaho, United States, in the west central part of the state. It had a population of 3,141 at the 2010 census.- Culture :...
, the world record for the number of persons participating in an egg toss was set, with 2,130 persons participating.
An egg throwing feat was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records: on November 12, 1978 a Johnny Dell Foley successfully tossed a fresh hen's egg for a distance of 323 ft 2in (98.51m) to a Keith Thomas at Jewett, Texas
Jewett, Texas
Jewett is a city in Leon County, Texas, United States. The population was 861 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Jewett is located at ....
. The record was undefeated until at least 1999. Since 2000 the feat is no longer listed in the book.
The Hagerstown Suns
Hagerstown Suns
The Hagerstown Suns are a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. They play in Municipal Stadium, which was opened in 1930 and seats 4,600 fans....
have hosted the annual National Egg Toss Championship
National Egg Toss Championship
The National Egg Toss Championship is an annual egg tossing contest held by the Hagerstown Suns. The first event was held in 2005....
since 2005.
A World Egg Throwing Federation
World Egg Throwing Federation
The World Egg Throwing Federation is an organization that promotes the sport of egg throwing. -Function:They promote a number of different variations of games including Russian egg roulette, throw and catch, static relay, target throwing and egg trebuchet. The organization discourages the use of...
championship is held in Swaton
Swaton
Swaton is a hamlet and civil parish in North Kesteven, Lincolnshire, England, off the A52 road on the B1394. The name comes from Suavetone or Swaffa’s Farmstead. The nearest town is Sleaford. The Roman Car Dyke runs to the east of the village. Roman brick pits are still extant. The Eau river rises...
, England each year on the last Sunday in June since 2006.
The 2006 and 2007 Disney Channel Games
Disney Channel Games
The Disney Channel Games were annual Olympic-based televised games that aired on the Disney Channel from 2006–2008. The 2006 Games were filmed in California and produced by 7ATE9 Entertainment. In 2007 and 2008 the Games were filmed at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World...
included egg tossing games.
See also
- Egg rollingEgg rollingEgg rolling, or an Easter egg roll is a traditional game played with eggs at Easter. Different nations have different versions of the game, usually played with hard-boiled, decorated eggs.- History :...
- Egg tappingEgg tappingThe egg tapping game or egg fight is a traditional Easter game. The rule is very simple: to hold a hard-boiled egg and tap eggs of other participants to break them but to keep your own undamaged...
- Egg danceEgg danceAn egg dance is a traditional Easter game in which eggs are laid on the ground or floor and the goal is to dance among them damaging as few as possible...
- Egg huntEgg huntEgg hunt is a game during which decorated eggs, real hard-boiled ones or artificial, filled with or made of chocolate candies, of various sizes, are hidden in various places for children to find. The game may be both indoors and outdoors...
- Pace Egg playPace Egg playThe Pace Egg Plays are traditional village plays, with a rebirth theme, in which St George smites all challengers and the fool, Toss Pot, rejoices...
- Egg-jarpingEgg-jarpingEgg-jarping is a competitive sport similar to conkers, but using hard-boiled eggs instead of the nuts from a horse-chestnut tree. The game is played between pairs of competitors who repeatedly knock the pointed ends of their eggs together until one of the eggs cracks; the overall winner is the one...