Editing Easter egg (section)

== Easter egg games ==
[[File:Easter Egg Hunt (5623253840).jpg|thumb|Eggs hidden for an [[Egg hunt|Easter egg hunt]]]]

=== Egg hunts ===
An [[egg hunt]] is a game in which [[decorated egg]]s, which may be hard-boiled chicken eggs, [[chocolate]] eggs, or artificial eggs containing [[candy|candies]], are hidden for children to find. The eggs often vary in size, and may be hidden both indoors and outdoors.<ref name="puritan">{{cite book| author= A. Munsey Pu Frank a. Munsey Publishers| title= The Puritan April to September 1900| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=yWRr8MnGI7EC&pg=PA119| date= March 2005| publisher= Kessinger Publishing| isbn= 978-1-4191-7421-6| page= 119}}{{Dead link|date=April 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> When the hunt is over, prizes may be given for the largest number of eggs collected, or for the largest or the smallest egg.<ref name=puritan/>

Some Central European nations ([[Czechs]], [[Slovaks]], etc.) have a tradition of men gathering eggs from women in return for whipping them with an [[easter whip]] and [[Śmigus-dyngus|splashing them with water]]. The ritual is traditionally believed to preserve the women's health and beauty.

[[Cascarón|Cascarones]], a Latin American tradition now shared by many US States with high Hispanic demographics, are emptied and dried chicken eggs stuffed with confetti and sealed with a piece of tissue paper. The eggs are hidden in a similar tradition to the American Easter egg hunt and when found the children (and adults) break them over each other's heads.

In order to enable children to take part in egg hunts despite visual impairment, eggs have been created that emit various clicks, beeps, noises, or music so that visually impaired children can easily hunt for Easter eggs.<ref>{{cite news |last= Tillery |first= Carolyn |title= Annual Dallas Easter egg hunt for blind children scheduled for Thursday |work= [[The Dallas Morning News]] |date= 2008-03-15 |url= http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/DN-elfocus_15met.ART.North.Edition1.462ecab.html |access-date= 2008-03-27 |archive-date= 2008-03-19 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080319015005/http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/DN-elfocus_15met.ART.North.Edition1.462ecab.html |url-status= dead }}</ref>

=== Egg rolling ===
[[Egg rolling]] is also a traditional Easter Egg game played with eggs at Easter. In the United Kingdom, Germany, and other countries children traditionally rolled eggs down hillsides at Easter.<ref name="inventors">{{cite web |url=http://inventors.about.com/od/estartinventions/a/easter_2.htm |title=Easter Eggs - Egg Rolling |publisher=Inventors.about.com |date=2012-04-09 |access-date=2012-09-24|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713182412/http://inventors.about.com/od/estartinventions/a/easter_2.htm|archive-date=13 July 2012}}</ref> This tradition was taken to the [[New World]] by European settlers,<ref name="inventors"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wyrdology.com/festivals/easter/egg-rolling.html|title=Easter Eggs: their origins, tradition and symbolism|publisher=Wyrdology.com|access-date=2008-03-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517013408/http://www.wyrdology.com/festivals/easter/egg-rolling.html|archive-date=2008-05-17|url-status=dead}}</ref> and continues to this day each Easter with an [[Easter egg roll]] on the [[White House]] lawn. [[Rutherford B. Hayes]] started the tradition of the Easter Egg Roll at the White House.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |url=https://clintonwhitehouse3.archives.gov/WH/glimpse/Easter/ |title=History of the White House Easter Egg Roll |access-date=2022-11-20 |archive-date=2022-11-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221120173831/https://clintonwhitehouse3.archives.gov/WH/glimpse/Easter/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Easter Monday Egg Roll was normally held at the United States Capitol, however, by the mid-1870s, Congress passed a law forbidding the Capitol's grounds to be used for the activity due to the toll it was taking on the landscape.<ref name="auto"/> The law was enforced in 1877, but the rain that year canceled all outdoor activities.<ref name="auto"/> In 1878, Hayes was approached by many young Easter Egg rollers who asked for the event to be held at the White House.<ref name="auto"/> He invited any children who wanted to roll eggs to come to the White House in order to do so. The tradition still occurs every year on the South Lawn of the White House. Now, there are many other games and activities that take place such as "Egg Picking" and "Egg Ball".<ref name="auto"/> Different nations have different versions of the Easter Egg roll game.

=== Egg tapping ===
[[File:Eierkippen.jpg|thumb|left|Eggs after an egg tapping competition (red wins)]]
In the [[North of England]], during Eastertide, a traditional game is played where hard boiled ''pace eggs'' are distributed and each player hits the other player's egg with their own. This is known as "[[egg tapping]]", "egg dumping", or "egg jarping". The winner is the holder of the last intact egg. The annual egg jarping world championship is held every year over Easter in [[Peterlee]], [[County Durham|Durham]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hutchinson |first1=Pamela |title=Egg jarping: when hard-boiled eggs come to blows |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2012/apr/08/egg-jarping-hardboiled-eggs-blows |access-date=14 June 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=8 April 2012 |archive-date=28 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028185901/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2012/apr/08/egg-jarping-hardboiled-eggs-blows |url-status=live }}</ref>

It is also practiced in Italy (where it is called ''scuccetta''), Poland, Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Lebanon, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia (where it is called ''turčanje'' or ''trkanje''), Ukraine, Russia, and other countries. In parts of Austria, Bavaria and German-speaking Switzerland it is called ''Ostereiertitschen'' or ''Eierpecken''. In parts of Europe it is also called ''epper'', presumably from the German name {{Lang|de|Opfer}}, meaning "offering" and in Greece it is known as ''tsougrisma''. In South [[Louisiana]], this practice is called pocking eggs<ref>{{cite web|title=Pocking eggs or la toquette|date=17 March 2008|url=http://creolecajun.blogspot.com/2008/03/pocking-eggs-or-la-toquette.html|publisher=Creolecajun.blogspot.com|access-date=2008-03-20|archive-date=2011-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716180103/http://creolecajun.blogspot.com/2008/03/pocking-eggs-or-la-toquette.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=If Your Eggs Are Cracked, Please Step Down: Easter Egg Knocking in Marksville |url=http://www.louisianafolklife.org/LT/Articles_Essays/creole_art_egg_knocking.html |access-date=2008-03-20 |archive-date=2017-03-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316053553/http://www.louisianafolklife.org/LT/Articles_Essays/creole_art_egg_knocking.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and is slightly different. The [[Louisiana Creole people|Louisiana Creoles]] hold that the winner eats the eggs of the losers in each round.

In the Greek Orthodox tradition, red eggs are also cracked together when people exchange Easter greetings.

=== Egg dance ===
[[Egg dance]] is a traditional Easter game in which eggs are laid on the ground or floor and the goal is to dance among them without damaging any eggs<ref name="newall">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/eggateasterfolkl00newa|url-access=registration|title=An egg at Easter: a folklore study|publisher=Routledge & K. Paul|year=1971|isbn=978-0-7100-6845-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/eggateasterfolkl00newa/page/344 344]|author=Venetia Newall}}</ref> which originated in Germany.

=== Pace egg plays ===
The [[Pace Egg play]]s are traditional village plays, with a rebirth theme. The drama takes the form of a combat between the hero and villain, in which the hero is killed and brought back to life. The plays take place in England during Easter.[[File:Osterstrauss 08.jpg|thumb|In some countries like Sweden, Norway, Poland, Slovakia and Germany eggs are used as a table decoration hanging on a tree-branch.]]