Cascarones Just In Time For Easter Celebrations
Always colorful, sometimes sparkly or glitter-coated, nothing screams “Happy Easter” louder than getting a confetti-filled eggshell, or cascarón, cracked on top of your head.
One of my earliest, and possibly most traumatic, childhood memories was being dressed in my Easter Sunday best, cradling an elaborately decorated cascarón in my right hand, scanning the faces of family members, trying to decide who would be my first victim. So deep in thought, I failed to notice my rambunctious, older cousin Lety sneaking up behind me, preparing to deliver a wallop so hard on my skull that I dropped my egg and stepped on it before running off to cry to my mother. She tried to console me saying it was supposed to be good luck, but at that moment, with bits of confetti still stuck in my hair, all I cared about was settling the score with my stupid cousin.
Apparently the tradition of celebrating Easter with casacarones is spreading beyond Latino communities as The Washington Post recently did a story about thier rise in popularity.
For readers who’ve never partaken in the joy of smashing an egg over someone’s head, this weekend is a great time to start the tradition. Not only are they easy to make, but they’re also a relatively cheap way to have fun with the family on Easter. The Washington Post narrowed it down into six easy steps:
- Cut a hole in one end of the egg and dump out the egg.
- Clean the shells; sanitize them with a bleach-and-water mixture if you like.
- Color shells with bright Easter egg dye or food coloring.
- Further decorate, if you like, with glitter, crayons and stickers.
- Once the eggs are dry, fill them with confetti. (Extend the fun by having kids make their own confetti, using a hole punch.)
- Cover the shell hole with tissue paper and a glue paste made from flour and water.
Enjoy and have fun!
[Photo By Rudy A. Girón]