Egging refers to the act of throwing
eggsEggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
at houses, cars, or people. Egging is a
criminal offenceA misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
in most areas. The eggs are usually raw, but are sometimes hard-boiled or expired. This can be considered
vandalismVandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
.
Eggs are capable of causing damage when thrown at
propertyProperty is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
and egging is often considered
vandalismVandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
for this reason. Eggs can burp, when thrown at cars, can dent a body panel or chip paint where the shell breaks, leaving an oval outline. Additionally,
egg whiteEgg white is the common name for the clear liquid contained within an egg. In chickens it is formed from the layers of secretions of the anterior section of the hen's oviduct during the passage of the egg. It forms around either fertilized or unfertilized egg yolks...
s can degrade certain types of vehicle and house paint. Whether or not the egg damages the surface beneath it, dried egg can be surprisingly difficult to remove. Vigorous removal attempts with scrapers or abrasives can, themselves, damage the egged surface.
A nurse was blinded in one eye when an egg was thrown at her from a passing car in March 2008 in Dublin. A boy in Long Island also lost sight in one eye after teens from a local high school threw eggs out of a passing car on Halloween 2005.
Victims of egging may be entitled to compensation commensurate with the cost of repairs to mend damaged property due to the egging, common charges involved with eggings are damage to property, vandalism and may be liable to nuisance. In some more serious cases where injuries due to egging is presented, perpetrators may be charged with assault and fined. Egging is sometimes associated with certain events and holidays. In parts of England and the United States October 30 is referred to as "
Mischief NightMischief Night is an annual tradition in parts of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, and the United States when people take a degree of license to play...
," where mischievous teens rub soap bars on car windows, throw eggs at houses, adorn trees with toilet paper, and run away after ringing doorbells. In some areas of Queens, New York, Cabbage Night involved throwing rotten fruit at various neighbors, cars, and buses. Pre-teens and teens would fill eggs with Neet and Nair and throw them at unsuspecting individuals.
As protest
Eggs are sometimes thrown at people as a form of
protestA protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
as they are inexpensive and nonlethal yet at the same time very messy when broken. High-profile people that have been egged as a form of protest include
Steve BallmerSteven Anthony "Steve" Ballmer is an American business magnate. He is the chief executive officer of Microsoft, having held that post since January 2000. , his personal wealth is estimated at US$13.9 billion, ranking number 19 on the Forbes 400.-Early life:Ballmer was born in Detroit, Michigan to...
,
Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
,
John PrescottJohn Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
,
Nick GriffinNicholas John "Nick" Griffin is a British politician, chairman of the British National Party and Member of the European Parliament for North West England....
and
David BlaineDavid Blaine is an American illusionist and endurance artist. He is best known for his high-profile feats of endurance, and has made his name as a performer of street and close-up magic. He has set and broken several world records...
. Irish bank
AIBAllied Irish Banks p.l.c. is a major commercial bank based in Ireland.AIB is one of the so called "big four" commercial banks in the state. The bank has one of the largest branch networks in Ireland; only Bank of Ireland fully rivals it. AIB offers a full range of personal and corporate banking...
was egged in response to the Irish banking crisis of 2009. The Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament was egged by deputies inside the Ukrainian parliament on April 27, 2010 as a protest against a natural gas agreement. During the
2004 Ukrainian presidential electionThe Ukrainian presidential election, 2004 was held on October 31, November 21 and December 26, 2004. The election was the fourth presidential election to take place in Ukraine following independence from the Soviet Union...
candidate
Viktor YanukovychViktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002...
was rushed to hospital after he had been hit with an egg (while government officials claimed he was hit by a brick) which became a source of ridicule.
Egging can cause serious
eye injuryPhysical or chemical injuries of the eye can be a serious threat to vision if not treated appropriately and in a timely fashion. The most obvious presentation of ocular injuries is redness and pain of the affected eyes. This is not, however, universally true, as tiny metallic projectiles may cause...
and may in some districts constitute
assaultIn law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
and
batteryBattery is a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact, distinct from assault which is the fear of such contact.In the United States, criminal battery, or simply battery, is the use of force against another, resulting in harmful or offensive contact...
.
However, egging is also a way of celebrating when a student graduates from university, with the eggs being smashed over the new graduate, along with other substances such as flour.
See also
- Devil's Night
Devil's Night or Hell Night ' is a name associated with October 30th, the night before Halloween. It is related to the "Mischief night" practiced in other parts of the United States and the world, but is chiefly associated with the serious vandalism and arson seen in Detroit, Michigan from the...
- Mischief night
Mischief Night is an annual tradition in parts of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, and the United States when people take a degree of license to play...
- Pieing
Pieing is the act of throwing a pie at a person or persons. This can be a political action when the target is an authority figure, politician, or celebrity and can be used as a means of protesting against the target's political beliefs, or against perceived arrogance or vanity. Perpetrators...
- Shoeing
Shoeing, throwing shoes, showing the sole of one's shoe or using shoes to insult are forms of protest in many parts of the world.Incidents where shoes were thrown at political figures have taken place in Australia, India, Ireland, Israel, Hong Kong, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and most notably,...
- Toilet papering
Toilet papering is the act of covering an object, such as a tree, house, or another structure with toilet paper. This is typically done by throwing numerous toilet paper rolls in such a way that they unroll in mid-air and thus fall on the targeted object in multiple streams...
- Trick-or-treating
Trick-or-treating or "Guising", is a customary practice for children on Halloween in many countries. Children in costumes travel from house to house in order to ask for treats such as candy with the question "Trick or treat?"...