Egg tossing or egg throwing is a

game A game is a structured type of play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or video games) or art ...

associated with

Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...

. Various types of such games exist, common ones involve throwing an egg so that it lands on the ground without breaking. Such a contest may be known as an egg toss.

History

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

, for the celebration of Eastertide, Easter eggs symbolize the

empty tomb The empty tomb is the Christian tradition that the tomb of Jesus was found empty after his crucifixion. The canonical gospels each describe the visit of women to Jesus' tomb. Although Jesus' body had been laid out in the tomb after crucifixi ...

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

, from which he was resurrected. Additionally, eggs carry a

Trinitarian The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, three ...

significance, with shell, yolk, and albumen being three parts of one egg. During

Lent Lent (, 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christianity, Christian religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Christ, t ...

, the season of repentance that precedes Easter, eggs along with meat, lacticinia, and wine are foods that are traditionally abstained from, a practice that continues in

Eastern Christianity Eastern Christianity comprises Christianity, Christian traditions and Christian denomination, church families that originally developed during Classical antiquity, classical and late antiquity in the Eastern Mediterranean region or locations fu ...

and among certain Western Christian congregations that do the Daniel Fast. In

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

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 The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

of the church and the

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" (also derisively) refers to someone who is considered honor ...

who was holding the egg when the clock struck twelve would get to keep it. 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 A meadow ( ) is an open habitat or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as they maintain an open character. Meadows can occur naturally under favourable condition ...

.Venetia Newall (1971) ''An Egg at Easter: A Folklore Study''
p. 335
/ref> In Germany, children invented a way to spin the egg during the toss so that it lands on its tip still spinning. 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 does not break it must be returned to the seller.

Gameplay

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.)

Records

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 ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...

'': on November 12, 1978, 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. Since the world record in Egg Throwing has not been recorded in the ''

'' since 1999, the World Egg Throwing Federation, based in Swaton, England, now certifies official world records. The world record in Egg Throwing was held until May 19, 2013 by the Dutchmen Andries Smink and Hillebrand Visser with a certified distance of throw and catch of 69.5 meters (228 feet, 2 inches) thrown on August 17, 2012. May 19, 2013 the Irish 'Wild' Willie O'Donevan and 'Big' Warren McElhone set a new world record at the Irish National Open of 71.2 meters. WETF World Records: * During the Dutch Open Egg Throwing championship, July 9, 2012, The Dutchmen Andries Smink (catcher) and Hillebrand Visser set an official WETF World Record at 61.50 meters * On August 7, 2012 Andries Smink and Hillebrand Visser broke their own WETF World record and set it 69.25 meters * A WETF World Record was set on May 19, 2013, during the Open Irish Eggthrowing at Ballinrobe, when "Wild" Willie O'Donovan (tosser) and Warren Mc Elhone (catcher) overcame a distance of 71.2 meters. * During the Dutch Open Eggthrowing Championships, July 13, 2013 the world record was taken back by the Dutch, Andries Smink and Allard Adema covered a distance of 73.77 meters. * A new official WETF World Record was set on May 23, 2014 by the brothers Andries and Bauke Jetze Smink, at 76.27 meters (250.22 ft). * The WETF World Record was taken from the Smink brothers during WETF World Championships 2017 on June 25 by the New Zealand team Robbie Hollander and Nick Hornstein with a distance of 81 meters (265.74 feet). * The Hollander/Hornstein world record was broken on March 11, 2018 by Ricki Paewai and Kris Richards with a throw and catch at 85.96 meters. The

Hagerstown Suns The Hagerstown Suns were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland. They were a member of the South Atlantic League and, from 2007 through 2020, were the Class A (baseball), Class A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They pl ...

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 Rowntree's Randoms Egg Throwing Championships - Swaton 28 June"
''

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

''-

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

, June 2009

References

{{Eggs Easter egg Traditional Easter games Competitions

History

Gameplay

Records

See also

References