Egg tossing or egg throwing is a game associated with Easter. 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.
In medieval Great 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.
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.Venetia Newall (1971) An Egg at Easter: A Folklore Study, p. 335 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.
An egg throwing feat was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records: 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 Guinness Book of Records 1999, , p. 99. 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 Guinness Book of World Records 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:
The Hagerstown Suns have hosted the annual National Egg Toss Championship since 2005. "Egg-tossing event coming here", The Herald-Mail, April 28, 2005. "Teams scramble for title"
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-Lincolnshire, June 2009
Gameplay
Records
See also
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