Egg rolling
Egg 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.
For the appetizer, see egg roll.History[edit]
In Christianity, for the celebration of Eastertide, Easter eggs symbolize the empty tomb of Jesus, from which he was resurrected.[1][2][3] Additionally, eggs carry a Trinitarian significance, with shell, yolk, and albumen being three parts of one egg.[4] During Lent, 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 and among certain Western Christian congregations that do the Daniel Fast.[5][6] After the forty-day Lenten season concludes and Eastertide begins, eggs may be consumed again, giving rise to various traditions such as egg rolling,[7] which also symbolizes the angel rolling away the stone at the entrance of the tomb.[8]
United Kingdom[edit]
In the United Kingdom the tradition of rolling decorated eggs down grassy hills goes back hundreds of years and is known as "pace-egging". The term originates from the Old English Pasch, taken from the Hebrew Pesach meaning Passover.[9] In Lancashire there are annual egg rolling competitions at Holcombe Hill near Ramsbottom and Avenham Park in Preston. Egg rolling has been a tradition at Avenham Park for hundreds of years, but in recent years chocolate eggs have been used.[10] Other traditional egg rolling sites are the castle moat at Penrith, Bunkers Hill in Derby, Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh,[11] Hill 60 on the Beverley Westwood and on Penshaw Hill in Tyne and Wear at Penshaw Monument.[12]
Traditionally, the eggs were wrapped in onion skins and boiled to give them a mottled, gold appearance (although today they usually are painted), and the children competed to see who could roll their egg the farthest.[9] There is an old Lancashire legend that says the broken eggshells should be crushed carefully afterward, or these would be stolen and used as boats by witches.[13] The eggs were eaten on Easter Sunday or given out to pace-eggers – fantastically dressed characters who processed through the streets singing traditional pace-egging songs and collecting money as a tribute before performing traditional mumming plays.[14] At the Wordsworth Museum in Grasmere, there is a collection of highly decorated eggs made for the poet's children.[14]
In Scotland, pace-eggin is traditional from Shetland to The Borders although the day varied with location. Pace-egg day variously was Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday, or Easter Monday.[15] Paiss-braes, hills, were used or other grassy slopes or areas such as seaside links.[15] There is some variation in the spelling and pronunciation of the term pace, including pash, peace and paste.[15]
Other countries[edit]
In Germany, a prize is awarded to the contestant whose egg rolls the fastest down a track made of sticks. In Denmark, decorated eggs are rolled down slopes in grassland or forest, and the contestant whose egg rolls farthest is the winner, with unbroken eggs eaten after the game. The tradition is widespread around the town of Køge. In Lithuania, one collects those eggs touched by the one rolled.
In Egypt, children bowl red and yellow eggs toward another row of eggs, and whoever's egg cracks one egg may claim them all.
In eastern Europe, there are other traditions such as egg tapping and egg decorating.[28]
