Sidewalk Egg Frying Day

The strange and interesting Sidewalk Egg Frying Day is on the 4th of July, giving people the chance to use natural solar energy in everyday life. You do not have to fry eggs right on the sidewalk, especially since it is unlikely to succeed. Instead, you can compete in competitions where hot surfaces of cars, foil, mirrors, and magnifying glasses are used for frying.

History

Everyone knows the popular phrase that it’s so hot outside “you can fry eggs on the sidewalk.” The phrase was first mentioned in an issue of The Atlanta Constitution in 1899, where Francis Wade wrote that sidewalk bricks were so hot that you could fry eggs on them. Later, in 1933, due to an article in the Los Angeles Times, the idea of ​​frying eggs without the right equipment captured people’s imagination again. And only in 1983, in the city of Oatman, Fred Eck created a real annual competition where you could compete in frying eggs using solar energy.

In fact, frying scrambled eggs right on the sidewalk is not hygienic and not entirely possible because the egg simply will not be completely cooked. But the heat and hot surfaces forced people to think about how to use solar energy more efficiently—even if only for frying eggs. Oatman, Arizona hosts an annual competition on this holiday, where contestants use creative methods to fry eggs in less than 15 minutes. Any smooth surfaces, as well as magnifying glasses, are used.

Interesting Facts

• In order to fry the egg fully, a temperature of 150 to 160°F is needed;
• It takes at least 20 minutes to fully fry an egg on the sidewalk;
• In experiments, the most efficient way to fry eggs under the sun without electricity was to use parabolic solar cookers, the curved reflectors heating a pot or pan to 400°F.

How to Take Part

Try to fry the eggs yourself under the sun, with improvised means. The disinfected hood of a car is best. This is an especially visual experience for children, but be sure all participants in the experiment use a hat and sunscreen. Also, during this holiday, you can learn more about how solar energy works and where it can be applied.

When is Sidewalk Egg Frying Day in 2024?

Sidewalk Egg Frying Day is associated with the anticipation of happiness and joy. It is observed on July 4th each year.

Observations