Cascarones

Cascarones are empty eggshells that have been colored, filled with paper confetti, and sealed with colorful tissue paper. The name comes from the Spanish word cáscara, or “shell,” and they regularly appear at Easter celebrations and fiestas, though they are a welcome addition at any festive occasion.

It wasn’t until I left El Paso that I realized celebrating with cascarones is a Mexican tradition. I assumed every family made the confetti-filled eggshells and broke them over one another’s heads on Easter Sunday. Imagine my embarrassment when I saw hard-boiled eggs hidden at an Easter party and asked, “Isn’t it going to hurt when you break them on someone’s head?”