The excitement of being able to balance an egg on its end during the spring equinox began in a Life Magazine article in 1945. They touted photos of numerous eggs being stood on end in China, and strangely enough, this ritual only happened on the equinox. Here’s what they didn’t tell us…

You can stand an egg on end ANY DAY of the year, though I must admit, I’ve never been able to do so. Why the Chinese culture opted for the equinox to display their skill (and patience), I don’t know.

The great Albert Einstein said at the time the egg balancing on the equinox was “rubbish,” but that didn’t stop the legend from spreading around the world. In typical media fashion, they pronounced Mr. Einstein as being “wrong” and their proof was the dozens of photos of eggs standing on end. They neglected to mention that China’s spring begins in February, so the great egg fantasy of standing on end only during the spring equinox was at least six weeks off compared to the American spring equinox.

Whether you want to jump on the equinox bandwagon or not, give it a try. You may be able to balance an egg on its end. If so, please tell me the secret!