The Colorful History of the Cascaron Eggs

Colorful Cascaron confetti eggs

Latin Americans are no strangers to the magic of cascarones, a staple during Easter. Cascarones are an innocent way to play a prank on loved ones and bring some laughter to holiday festivities. They are confetti-filled eggshells decorated with bright colors and sometimes covered with tissue paper.


Getting ready for Easter weekend

Colorful Cascaron confetti eggs for Easter

To prepare for Easter weekend, families save the carefully hollowed-out eggshells from their morning breakfast a month or two in advance. These eggshells are then thoroughly cleaned and dyed in bright colors or left undyed before being filled with confetti and covered again with a thin layer of tissue paper or clear tape. Although the additional wrapping of tissue paper is less and lesson common for Latinos in the U.S.

But did you know the story of cascarones began in China?

eggs shells cascarones for Easter

Photo by Luisfi on Wikimedia Commons

After Marco Polo visited China in the 13th century, he found a version of the cascarones. Those colored eggs were filled with scented powders and they weren’t used for innocent pranks but instead given as gifts. He was delighted by the little discovery, so he shared it with the royal courts of Europe, and that’s how they made their way to Mexico in the mid-1800s through Emperor Maximilian’s wife Carlotta.

Cascarones in Mexico

Cascarones for Easter

Photo by David on Flickr

Once the cascarones arrived in Mexico, the eggs began to evolve. Instead of scented powder, they were filled with confetti. Their use changed as the Latin American sense of humor created its own tradition of cracking them over people’s heads. This inspired the name cascarones, which translates into “shell hits.”

Cascarones in the United States

Photo by Val H on Flickr

Eventually, the tradition of cascarones made its way to the United States with the large migration of Mexicans to border towns. You can see the cascarones for yourself in places like Texas, California, and the southwest states of New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada. While they are used year-round in Latin American countries to celebrate birthdays and other festivities, the Mexican-American culture adopted the practice mainly at Easter festivities.

Leave no trace

warning post about leaving confetti paper behind after Easter picnic celebrations

Social media post by dinovalleysp

Cascarones are so popular in some states like Texas, they have issued warnings about leaving confetti paper behind after Easter picnic celebrations. Easter is a time for family, fun, and relaxation but also a time to be mindful of your footprint if you are going to participate in this festive tradition!


woman meditating with her eyes closed

When we talk about intuition, it’s often described as a “gut feeling,” an unshakable sense of knowing that nudges us toward a particular decision. For Latinas, this feeling carries profound significance, rooted not only in personal experience but also in cultural and ancestral wisdom. Intuition isn’t just an abstract concept; it’s a powerful tool that can transform how we navigate decisions in our personal and professional lives.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy in the Civil Rights space is an ever-present inspiration to all oppressed and marginalized people. MLK played a massively pivotal role in inspiring the Black community, but through his speeches, fights, and political views, he also effectively highlighted that the spirit of mutuality is where we needed to collectively focus. As MLK noted in his "Letter from Birmingham Jail," written on April 16, 1963:

“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

It’s in this spirit that he was able to influence Latino leaders and communities to join in the fight for civil rights and collective liberation.

Keep ReadingShow less
graphic design of a woman in front of her laptop with a tired expression. In the background it reads anxiety, work, stress
Luz Media

How does one measure success? We surely all have different ideas about what being successful means, but wouldn't you agree that in this day and age, we're bombarded with the idea that money and a career equal success?

Keep ReadingShow less