Children have fun making eggs stand on special day
By ELWEEN LOKE
elween@thestar.com.my
SPOTTING a group of his friends crowded in front of a house, Khor Yee Ting decided to investigate and was surprised at what he found.
His friends in Kampung Baru Chenderong were able to make the oval-shaped eggs stand vertically on the ground without toppling over.
Yee Ting, 11, only then learned about the unique custom of standing the eggs on the fourth or fifth day of every February.
Fun feat: Yee Ting (second from right) and friends trying to keep the egg upright.
Together with his friend, Gan Lee Siong, nine, both had tried to make the eggs stand but failed.
However, housewife Chan Oi Fun, 48, who was passing by the group, made a successful attempt, much to the delight of the cheering group of children .
Chan said the eggs, especially when placed under the sun, could be made to stand on the ground on lap chun, a special day of the year.
According to Chinese myth, lap chun marked the start of the spring equinox in China and usually falls on the fourth or fifth day of February in the Gregorian calendar.
This happens when the sun reaches the celestial longitude of 315 degrees.
It is widely believed that the eggs were able to stand due to the strengthening of gravitational forces on Earth when the planet’s axis pointed perpendicular to the direction of the sun.
“It was really fun to balance the eggs during such a special day and I remember doing so almost 18 years ago.
“My son was only 10-years-old at that time. We had an exciting time trying to balance the eggs and celebrating after we succeeded,” she said.
Retiree Long Khai Hong, 74, however, saw the practice as a good way to bond with his young grandchildren.
“I would get my grandchildren to try making the eggs stand every year and they find this phenomenon very mysterious,” he said, adding that the egg would stand for about a minute.
Long said many people had used Chinese New Year to determine a baby’s zodiac sign, but this was not the correct method.
“The correct method is by referring to lap chun, which marked the actual start of the Dragon Year.
“Therefore only the babies born after that would be true Dragon babies,” he said.
He said the difference was because Chinese New Year marked the start of the new moon, whereas lap chun marked the changing of the seasons from winter to spring.
Long, who also observed the Chinese Lunar calendar, said the exact time of the change or lap chun this year was at 6.22pm on Feb 4.
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