If you've ever had a brightly colored eggshell cracked over your head and suddenly found yourself covered in confetti – congratulations. You've been showered by a cascarón.
The colorful, confetti-filled eggs are a longtime staple at springtime celebrations across the Southwest, especially around Easter.
But their story starts far from the backyard parties with friends and family where they're often seen today.
Ellen Riojas Clark, a professor emerita of Bicultural and Bilingual Studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said historians aren't sure where cascarones originated, but there's an unconfirmed story they may have come from China centuries ago, where hollowed-out eggs were once filled with scented powder and given as gifts.
According to Clark, the story goes that Marco Polo, an Italian explorer from the 13th Century, brought the eggs back to Europe, where they became a source of celebration among Spaniards.
"That's a story, I have no idea if that's true or not," Clark said about the origins of this folk story.
The custom eventually landed in Mexico, where the perfumed powders were swapped for paper confetti, Clark added.
"It's been taken to mean that you're interested or you like the person," Clark said. "You crack the egg on their head and it's a symbol of affection."
These days, cascarones are especially popular in Texas, California, New Mexico and other regions with strong Mexican and Mexican-American communities.
While each household might put its own spin on the custom, the basics of the tradition remain the same: gently hollow out an egg, paint the shell with bright colors, fill it with confetti, seal it with tissue paper and wait for the perfect moment to sneak up and crack it over someone's head.
"It's a tradition," said Cindy Dodds, a mother in Dallas who's made sure to have cascarones for her two boys during Easter and even birthday celebrations for the last decade.
"I think it's probably the highlight for them for Easter – not the resurrection of Christ, but the ability to throw an egg at someone and crash it on their head," Dodds jokingly said.
The tradition has also become synonymous with Mexican-American celebrations like Fiesta, an annual Spring festival celebrating the cultural legacy of San Antonio, Texas.
"If you're having a party, you have cascarones," said Judy Simon, this year's chair of the Cascarones Committee during Fiesta.
"We always say the more confetti you have in your hair, the more popular you are," Simon said.
Simon says cracking a cascarón over someone's head brings good luck.
Her group is affectionately known as the "Egg Ladies." They meet every Thursday year-round to create tens of thousands of cascarones.
"Anyone can do it," Simon said. "I know families that get together and do this. It's really a cultural activity that really unites people."
Even if you don't want to create them yourself at home, the price of store-bought cascarones remains unchanged this spring since they're made far in advance of any springtime holidays, and long before the recent spike in egg prices.
Despite the storied history, the future of cascarones is what we make of it, said Riojas Clark, the professor from UT San Antonio.
"I think the most important part of it is the personal stories," Clark said. "Eggs exist throughout whatever culture or whatever group … Community then takes it and utilizes it in a way that they can partake in it."
Cindy Dodds said she hopes it'll create lasting memories for her children.
"I think it's a bonding moment that they will remember as they get older," Dodds said. "When they're sitting around with their own kids and creating traditions, they'll remember this one and laugh, and maybe they'll do it with their children."
So next time you crack a cascarón, remember – it's more than just confetti. It's history and appreciation for a colorful tradition in your hands.
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