Eggsactly Equal

Image courtesy of:

Cortes Island - Gallery

Tra La, it's here ... that lusty time of year!

(Camelot, the musical)

We've never tried to balance an egg on end, at the Equinox or at any other time of year for that matter. The children were very Eggcited (tm) thinking about some Magical Force (tm) that would allow an egg to be balanced on end. On Only One Day Of The Year (tm.)

Sorry to report that while investigating this Legend and/or myth, we've discovered (as probably half the world already knew) that the Equinox Egg Balancing (tm) is, in fact, myth. This, however, did *not* deter the wee ones who are still in Magical Mode (tm) thinking about the possibility that, because of their part Irish heritage, they could just maybe, possibly, It Could Happen! (tm) be **hushed tone** Leprechauns! :o)

From the EGG BUSTERS at Snopes:

Claim: A special property of the equinox allows eggs to be balanced on end
that day.
Status: False.

Every year on the vernal equinox (on or about March 21), one of the two days per year in which the length of day and night are the same, we hear about a magical property of this day that allows eggs to be balanced on end.

Rarely do we see any new stories reporting that this same feat can be achieved every other day of the year as well.

The Chinese are thought to have originated the practice of standing eggs on end during the equinox. Just as the equinox symbolically restores balance to the world by signalling its rebirth after a season of darkness, the equinox literally balances the day by dividing it into equal portions of darkness and light. If the symbol of fertility — eggs — could be balanced on end during a day equally divided between day and night, this was a sign that all nature
was in harmony. That the balancing of eggs could be achieved on any day of the year was of no importance; what everyone wanted and needed was a familiar, reassuring ritual to demonstrate that all was right with the world.

http://www.snopes.com/science/equinox.htm

A "Great Egg Experiment (tm)" was performed by Wayne Osborn of the Physics Department at Central Michigan University who did, in fact, balance an egg on end and not on the Vernal Equinox. Several eggs, in fact. On several dates from September 1998 through January 1999.

Thusly, Wayne was able to conclude that with persistence and patience, eggs can be so balanced at any time of the year. See the report and data page here:

Wayne's Great Eggsperiment - A physics coup.

The children still think it's very cool that an egg can be balanced on end. Their Magic Bubble of Belief is not burst. They believe in the Easter Bunny and are Eggcited (tm) about the coming Spring and Easter Festivities.

They still check their ear tips every day for pointiness, too.

Happy Spring!