Different Easter Custom

It took the actuality of Easter day and the fact that many family Easter Egg hunts had to be conducted inside houses yesterday to jog my memory about another delightful Easter custom often carried out inside a building. I'm talking about cascarones - hollow egg shells filled with perfumed confetti - that are broken over the heads of friends in Mexico and the Southwestern US. Usually, the breaking is meant to be a surprise and occurs when someone has sneaked up behind the target.
I learned about cascarones when I taught in the barrio in Austin, TX. The children tried to catch me when I was sitting down so they could reach my hair. The first experience was a real surprise since I hadn't heard about the custom before. It comes from Mexico. I later learned that, because cascarones take a bit of time to make, children are very choosy when it comes to using one. It is a means of honor and a way to express affection. Having a cascaron broken over one's head is also said to bring good luck. I loved walking around the school with confetti in my hair. Everyone knew where the colored bits came from and it was a lot of fun.

If you'd like to make some next year, here are the directions.
Making Cascarones
Open the top of the egg.You can do this using pins, a small nail or a knife.Since it will be touching food, remember to sterilize whatever you use by running it over a flame.Do it over a bowl so you can use the egg in a meal.If you're placing toys or candy in the eggs, you'll want a larger hole to fit them in.If you're placing confetti in the egg, then you can place a small hole on each end and use a spoon to fill the egg.Rinse out the inside of the egg.Use egg dye, water colors, acrylic or finger paint to decorate the eggs (Be Gentle)After the eggs dry, place a little glue around the edges of the opening and close it with a piece of tissue paper.With the egg you emptied out, you can make quiche, omelets, or another dish with egg in it.