Egg Roll Not Eggroll
Did you grow up with traditions that didn't seem weird until you were an adult? It wasn't until a few years ago I realized the oddity of my family's Easter Egg Roll. That's Egg Roll not eggroll. While there is still food involved, the results are quite different.
The tradition started long before my time and the stories continue to get passed down. My mom and aunts participated when they were wee ones I believe. Of course it could also be possible that the tradition is so old, no one really remembers. Okay, I doubt its that old. Nonetheless, at Easter we color eggs for a completely different reason then our neighbors.
There are techniques, theories, and trophies. There is the exchange of money and one year there was even egg insurance. Albeit, the egg insurance was a huge loss but its serious. I remember one of my cousins hollowing out his egg and filling it with bee bees.
The roll starts with a placement round. All individuals roll their eggs down the egg ramp; youngest to oldest. The technique is vital. If you colored your egg with a medium that was too sticky, your egg will stick to your fingers and could roll end over end down the ramp providing the "crack crack crack" sound effects all the way down the ramp. This, sadly, was the undoing of this years almost champ. Sorry Tasha, but your demise was ever so dramatic and beautiful. Well played.
Its very important to place your egg with the ends out and you must determine to which side of the "field" you want your egg to go. Since eggs aren't perfectly round they do not roll straight. If we were just rolling the eggs this would not be important but you see, after the placement round, the money comes in to play.
Eggs remain on the field through the entirety of the game, until they are eliminated (we'll get to that in a minute). The next round of rolls begins. Youngest to oldest we again roll our eggs down the ramp. If we hit an egg, they owe us a whopping quarter since they were in our way you see. I wish it worked that way in real life sometimes. The goal is to have the egg that travels the farthest. We play a couple "payment" rounds with everyone. Quarters are flying. Grandkids are confused about asking the Grandparents for money; we were always told NOT to take Grandma and Grandpa's money growing up but its fair game at the egg roll. There is laughing. There is crying (from dramatic collisions). There is anxiety. The youngest are 3 years old. Their lack of awareness of 20 colored eggs on a living room floor can be catastrophic.
There are now three leagues; Young (The Mama and the Papa, the Aunts and Uncles); Younger (the grandkids), and Youngest (the babes/most great grandkids). All of the youngest win (chocolate eggs wrapped in gold foil-the best prize for 3 and 5 year olds). There is only one winner from the young and the younger leagues. Players will compete for years for a chance to get their name engraved (okay its just permanent marker) on the ramp. There are upsets. There are pep talks. Eggs are named. There is even spirit gear. Well not really but my brother did match his egg this year. Quite hilarious.
It's absolute insanity. Not just to watch the activity but the activity itself. Who on earth rolls an egg down a ramp, collects money for hitting another egg, then gets a trophy for rolling it the greatest distance?
I love my family!
The tradition started long before my time and the stories continue to get passed down. My mom and aunts participated when they were wee ones I believe. Of course it could also be possible that the tradition is so old, no one really remembers. Okay, I doubt its that old. Nonetheless, at Easter we color eggs for a completely different reason then our neighbors.
There are techniques, theories, and trophies. There is the exchange of money and one year there was even egg insurance. Albeit, the egg insurance was a huge loss but its serious. I remember one of my cousins hollowing out his egg and filling it with bee bees.
The roll starts with a placement round. All individuals roll their eggs down the egg ramp; youngest to oldest. The technique is vital. If you colored your egg with a medium that was too sticky, your egg will stick to your fingers and could roll end over end down the ramp providing the "crack crack crack" sound effects all the way down the ramp. This, sadly, was the undoing of this years almost champ. Sorry Tasha, but your demise was ever so dramatic and beautiful. Well played.
Its very important to place your egg with the ends out and you must determine to which side of the "field" you want your egg to go. Since eggs aren't perfectly round they do not roll straight. If we were just rolling the eggs this would not be important but you see, after the placement round, the money comes in to play.
Eggs remain on the field through the entirety of the game, until they are eliminated (we'll get to that in a minute). The next round of rolls begins. Youngest to oldest we again roll our eggs down the ramp. If we hit an egg, they owe us a whopping quarter since they were in our way you see. I wish it worked that way in real life sometimes. The goal is to have the egg that travels the farthest. We play a couple "payment" rounds with everyone. Quarters are flying. Grandkids are confused about asking the Grandparents for money; we were always told NOT to take Grandma and Grandpa's money growing up but its fair game at the egg roll. There is laughing. There is crying (from dramatic collisions). There is anxiety. The youngest are 3 years old. Their lack of awareness of 20 colored eggs on a living room floor can be catastrophic.
There are now three leagues; Young (The Mama and the Papa, the Aunts and Uncles); Younger (the grandkids), and Youngest (the babes/most great grandkids). All of the youngest win (chocolate eggs wrapped in gold foil-the best prize for 3 and 5 year olds). There is only one winner from the young and the younger leagues. Players will compete for years for a chance to get their name engraved (okay its just permanent marker) on the ramp. There are upsets. There are pep talks. Eggs are named. There is even spirit gear. Well not really but my brother did match his egg this year. Quite hilarious.
It's absolute insanity. Not just to watch the activity but the activity itself. Who on earth rolls an egg down a ramp, collects money for hitting another egg, then gets a trophy for rolling it the greatest distance?
I love my family!
Measuring for the elimination.
Documenting the 2012 winners.
The 2012 winners. Guest Lynne and Married-In Competitor Kyle.
The history.
Don't be scared little egg. Your destiny awaits.
This year there was talk of adding a hidious jacket for the winner. We'll have to see what happens next year.
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