The Cracking Fun Of Cascarones: Exploring A Playful Easter Tradition

Spring is officially here and that means Easter is just around the corner with all of the sweets, baskets, and eggs but there are some Easter eggs that pack a punch.

Eggs

Cascarones (egg shells) are a huge part of the Easter celebration in a lot of Hispanic, Mexican, and South American households but there are a lot of people that don't know what they are. Cascarones are eggs that have been hollowed out and dried then died and dried again so that they crack easily but this is because of the surprise they hold inside. Cascarones are filled with various types of confetti like paper, shiny pieces, and even flower petals (which are better for the environment). The opening to the eggs are then closed up and usually hidden along with traditional Easter eggs that are filled with goodies.

Ouch!

The cascarones seem to have some sort of Spanish origin but that is not completely known due to the similarity it does have with an outdated punishment involving an egg. These eggs are no punishment though and usually are cracked on the heads of people you love and care about. Some people do smash the eggs pretty hard but some others crack them in their hands before making contact so that there is no blunt force trauma. If you are planning cracking cascarones just remember how much you loved that hairstyle you took forever to get right.

Donde?

So where can you get cascarones? Well some stores have started carrying them, like Amigo's, and they sell them by the dozen. There are plenty of vendors though that make them by the hundreds and sell them by the bag on many streets in and around North, East, and the Heart of Lubbock. Those vendors usually only accept cash and do not try to haggle with them since it does take a lot of time to make the fun smashable cascarones.