Egg rolling

Egg rolling, or anEaster egg rollis a traditional game played with eggs atEaster. Different nations have different versions of the game, usually played withhard-boiled,decorated eggs.
InChristianity, for the celebration of Eastertide, Easter eggs symbolize theempty tombofJesus, from which he wasresurrected.Additionally, eggs carry aTrinitariansignificance, with shell, yolk, and albumen being three parts of one egg.DuringLent, 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 inEastern Christianityand among certainWestern Christiancongregations that do theDaniel Fast.After the forty-day Lenten season concludes andEastertidebegins, eggs may be consumed again, giving rise to various traditions such as egg rolling,which alsosymbolizesthe angel rolling away the stone at the entrance of the tomb.
In theUnited Kingdomthe tradition of rolling decorated eggs down grassy hills goes back hundreds of years and is known as "pace-egging". The term originates from theOld EnglishPasch, taken from the HebrewPesachmeaningPassover.InLancashirethere are annual egg rolling competitions at Holcombe Hill nearRamsbottomand Avenham Park inPreston. Egg rolling has been a tradition atAvenham Parkfor hundreds of years, but in recent years chocolate eggs have been used.Other traditional egg rolling sites are the castle moat atPenrith, Bunkers Hill inDerby,Arthur's SeatinEdinburgh,Hill 60 on the Beverley Westwood and onPenshaw Hillin Tyne and Wear atPenshaw Monument.
Traditionally, the eggs were wrapped in onion skins and boiled to give them amottled, gold appearance (although today they usually are painted), and the children competed to see who could roll their egg the farthest.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 bywitches.The eggs were eaten on Easter Sunday or given out topace-eggers– fantastically dressed characters who processed through the streets singing traditional pace-egging songs and collecting money as a tribute before performing traditionalmumming plays.At theWordsworthMuseum inGrasmere, there is a collection of highly decorated eggs made for the poet's children.
In Scotland,pace-egginis traditional fromShetlandtoThe Bordersalthough the day varied with location.Pace-egg dayvariously was Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday, orEaster Monday.Paiss-braes, hills, were used or other grassy slopes or areas such as seasidelinks.There is some variation in the spelling and pronunciation of the termpace, includingpash,peaceandpaste.
In theUnited States, theEaster Egg Rollis held on theWhite House South LawneachEaster Mondayfor children (age 13 and younger) and their parents. It is hosted by thePresident of the United Statesand theFirst Lady of the United States.
The Egg Roll is a race where children push an egg through the grass with a long-handled spoon.Surrounding events include live entertainment, appearances by White House personalities inEaster Bunnycostumes, speeches and book-reading bycabinet secretariesor celebrity guests, and exhibits of artistically decorated eggs. The event traditionally begins with a performance of thenational anthem, followed by opening remarks by the President and the First Lady.
According to tradition,Dolley Madison, the wife of PresidentJames Madison, began the event in 1814. Hundreds of children brought their decorated eggs to join in games. Rolling Easter eggs was a popular annual custom inWashington, D.C., andAlexandria, Virginia, as early as the 1850s. Children rolled eggs on Easter Monday (and sometimesGood Friday) at theCapitol, the White House, and other parks and open spaces.Easter eggs were rolled at the Capitol as early as 1855and at the White House as early as 1860.By the 1870s, the Capitol had become the most popular place to roll eggs, although they were also rolled at the White House and other places.
In 1876, shortly after a particularly rambunctious Easter egg roll destroyed much of the lawn at the Capitol,Congresspassed a law making it illegal to use the Capitol complex as a children's playground. Heavy rain prevented much egg rolling in 1877, so the ban was not tested until 1878.
At the request of a number of children, including his own, then PresidentRutherford B. Hayesand his wifeLucy Hayesbrought the event to the White House lawns in 1878.From that year on, the egg roll would be an annual White House event, with the exception of 1917 (moved to theWashington Monument), 1918–1920 (canceled due to food shortages andinfluenzaconcerns), 1942 (moved to the Capitol West Lawn), 1943–1945 (World War II), 1946–1947 (food conservation), 1948–1952 (restoration of the White House) and 2020–2021 (social distancingmeasures to mitigate theCOVID-19 pandemic),then resumed in 2022.
In 1953,Mamie Eisenhowerproposed that the event beopenedtoblackchildren, who were allowed to participate starting in 1954.Since 1977 the marketing group TheAmerican Egg Boardhas heavily supported the event.
The event was featured in the 2007 filmNational Treasure: Book of Secrets.
InGermany, a prize is awarded to the contestant whose egg rolls the fastest down a track made of sticks. InDenmark, 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 ofKøge. InLithuania, one collects those eggs touched by the one rolled.
InEgypt, 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 asegg tappingandegg decorating.