Jul4 Fun Holiday – Sidewalk Egg Frying Day
July 4 is Sidewalk Egg Frying Day, an annual celebration of summer.
Try frying an egg on the sidewalk on Sidewalk Egg Frying Day.
©bigstockphoto.com/mikeledray
While the origins of this unofficial holiday are unknown, it is clear that the creator of the day wanted people to venture out in the hot summer Sun and be environmentally friendly by cooking eggs using solar energy.
The name of the holiday comes from the saying "it’s so hot you could fry an egg on the sidewalk."
Many places in the Northern Hemisphere are hot enough during this time of the year for people to crack an egg on the sidewalk and cook it. Add some salt and pepper and fry up some bacon and you will have the perfect breakfast! We are kidding, of course. Please do not eat food cooked on the sidewalk!
Bad Conductor of Heat
If you do want to cook your eggs outdoors using solar energy, the sidewalk may not be your best bet. An egg needs to be heated to around 145 degrees Fahrenheit (62 degrees Celsius) to be cooked. Sidewalks unfortunately are made of concrete, which is a poor conductor of heat. This means that once you crack open an egg on the sidewalk, not all of the heat from it will be transferred to the egg, leaving it uncooked or unevenly cooked.
If you really did want to cook an egg outdoors try doing it on the hood of your car or using a tin foil on which you can crack your egg. Metal is a better conductor of heat than concrete.
How to Celebrate?
- The day is a celebration of summer, so if you are not in the mood of frying an egg on the sidewalk, what about spending the day next to the pool and cooling down with lots of ice cream or popsicles?
- Stay out of the Sun and make your eggs the traditional way – on the stove!
Did You Know...
...that the city of Oatman, Arizona holds an annual Solar Egg Frying Contest every year? Contestants are given 5 minutes to cook an egg and can use objects like mirrors and magnifying glasses.
Sidewalk Egg Frying Day Observances
| Fun Holiday: Sidewalk Egg Frying Day Observances | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Weekday | Date | Name |
| 2024 | Thu | 4 Jul | Sidewalk Egg Frying Day |
| 2025 | Fri | 4 Jul | Sidewalk Egg Frying Day |
| 2026 | Sat | 4 Jul | Sidewalk Egg Frying Day |
| 2027 | Sun | 4 Jul | Sidewalk Egg Frying Day |
| 2028 | Tue | 4 Jul | Sidewalk Egg Frying Day |
| 2029 | Wed | 4 Jul | Sidewalk Egg Frying Day |
| 2030 | Thu | 4 Jul | Sidewalk Egg Frying Day |
| 2031 | Fri | 4 Jul | Sidewalk Egg Frying Day |
| 2032 | Sun | 4 Jul | Sidewalk Egg Frying Day |
| 2033 | Mon | 4 Jul | Sidewalk Egg Frying Day |
