The Easter egg tapping game, also called egg pocking, egg cracking, or Tsougrisma, is a traditional Easter game to play with dyed Easter eggs. Add this fun family game to your Easter party for kids or family Spring celebration this year!
All About the Easter Egg Tapping Game
The Egg Tapping Game is played with boiled and colored Easter eggs where two eggs are tapped together to see who’s egg is strongest.
Eggs in the game sympbolize rebirth, good luck, and new beginnings, which are part of Easter’s themes of resurrection and renewal.
Some say the cracked egg represents Jesus breaking free from the tomb, while others just see it as a chance to smash their colored egg with a fun game.
To Play The Egg Tap / Egg Crack Game, You’ll Need:
- Boiled Easter eggs dyed red (or other Easter egg dye colors)
- At least 3 players (the more players the better!)
The Egg Cracking Tradition
The egg ritual dates back centuries and is particularly popular in Greece, Cyprus, the Balkans, Armenia, and parts of Eastern Europe.
The Easter Egg Tapping Game, known in different parts of the world as different names:
- In Cajun areas (like in Louisiana) it is called Egg Pocking or Egg Pacqueing, because Pâques is the French word for Easter.
- In Greece, the red egg cracking game is called Tsougrisma.
- In the UK it is called Egg Jarping.
You may also hear the egg game called egg fight, egg knocking, knocky eggs.
In Greece, this game is usually played on Easter Sunday after the traditional midnight mass, or with family and friends gathered around the table for Easter dinner or Easter celebration.
How To Play The Egg Tapping Game For Easter
1. Choose Your Easter Eggs.
Two players chooses a red egg (traditionally red, but can be any color) and face each other.
Each player holds their egg by the larger end, so that the more pointed end is at the top.
GAME NOTE: Some people play that one player holds their egg with the pointed end up, while the other player holds their egg with the rounded end up.
Then, players lightly tap the ends of their eggs together.
2. Tap Easter Eggs With Your Opponent.
One player tries to crack the other player’s egg by tapping it gently with their egg.
If the other player’s egg cracks, the player with the cracked egg loses and the winner (with the uncracked egg) moves on to the next opponent.
If neither egg cracks, the players switch positions, and the player who had the pointed end now holds the rounded end, and vice versa.
The players once again tap their eggs together until one of the eggs cracks.
3. Continue Egg Tapping With The Next Opponent.
The winner of each round continues to play against other winners until there is only one player left standing.
4. Winning The Egg Tap Game.
In some versions of the game, the winner is said to have good luck for the year, and they may eat their opponents’ eggs as a symbol of victory.
After the eggs are broken, don’t throw them out!
The cracked boiled eggs are often served with salt and olive oil as part of the celebration or eaten in other ways (try them in this best egg salad dish ever).
ALSO CHECK OUT MORE EASTER FUN: COLORING EASTER EGGS
How to Win the Egg Tap Game (Hints & Tricks)
It may seem like it’s luck, but there are a few tricks to winning egg tapping:
- Inspect your game egg before you choose it. Don’t choose an egg that has a crack in the eggshell or seems thin on any side.
- Tap the shell with your fingernail to see if it seems thicker or thinner.
- Some people say that polishing the egg before you play makes it stronger and hold up better against egg taps.
- Hold your egg so that the opponent must tap the egg on the curved part (and not a tip), where it will be stronger.
- Angle the egg slightly so the impact is more on your opponent’s shell than your own Easter egg.
RELIGIOUS EASTER THEMES FOR KIDS: Last Supper Kids Activities and Lesson Plans
Happy Easter!
Have you played the Easter Egg tapping game?
