These events, which often drew thousands of people, are still held annually by Henes in New York City. In 1976, New York artist Donna Henes started organizing egg-balancing ceremonies with the stated goal of bringing about world peace and international harmony. The idea that an egg is easier to balance on the spring equinox has since become an American urban legend, and egg-balancing events are sometimes held on that date. That article and subsequent followings-up started a similar egg-balancing craze in the United States, but transposed to the vernal equinox beginning Western spring on March 20 or 21 when the sun is at the celestial longitude of 0°. United States Ī 1945 Life article reported on "an egg-balancing craze" among the population of Chungking (the interim capital of China during World War II) on that year's Lichun. In Taiwan, the practice is sometimes connected with the Dragon Boat Festival instead, on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. On this day, fresh chicken eggs were balanced on their broad end. In reality, eggs will balance anywhere at any time of year, and the practice has no connection to the gravitational force of the moon or sun.Įgg balancing has been connected with Lichun, the solar term beginning Chinese spring ( 春) on February 4 or 5 when the sun is at the celestial longitude of 315°. It is also said that eggs can be balanced on the heads of nails at the equator. įolklore holds that eggs can only be balanced in this way at a particular time of year: the lunar new year in China, the Dragon Boat Festival in Taiwan or the vernal equinox in the United States. Although the irregular shape of eggs makes this somewhat difficult, eggshells typically have many imperfections such that the vast majority can be balanced on their broad ends with minimal effort. Give it a try - and, see below for spring-themed books to read with your child.Egg balancing is a traditional Chinese practice that has since been popularized in the United States. The feat simply takes the right egg, a little practice, and a lot of patience. Standing an egg on its end is something just about anyone can do any day of the year. There is no gravitational change during the equinox that would help an egg balance. The bottom line: This egg-balancing trick is just an old wives' tale. “This is why standing on two feet is easier than standing on only one foot.” “We stand upright by keeping our own personal centers of gravity within the bounds of our feet on the ground,” says Keller. You would not have time to balance your egg!"Ī balancing act: Is it possible to balance an egg in an upright position? The key is finding an egg with a yolk centered in the shell. “Even were there such a solar influence, it would only work in one place at a time, and that place would be moving at a speed on the surface of the Earth of about 1,000 miles per hour at the equator. The idea that an egg could balance on this day comes from the thought that since the Sun and Moon are equidistant from the earth, the pull of gravity is equalized and therefore an egg is less likely to fall over. The equinox, explained: The spring equinox occurs when the Earth is tilted parallel to its path of motion around the Sun, which makes the length of the day and the night exactly the same. Here, three things to know about the equinox and eggs:
Keller, PhD, CEO of Smart Science Education Inc., for his scientific opinion. We wondered … is it really true? So we reached out to Harry E. Each season, this idea seems to pop up on the news, in social media, and in schools. Legend has it that on the spring equinox, you can balance an egg in an upright position thanks to the Earth’s position relative to the sun.
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