The egg, a universal symbol of birth and resurrection, was adopted by Christians in the second century in conjunction with the celebration of Easter. Those of us who live in the United States are all familiar with the concept of colored Easter eggs.
"Cáscarones", eggs that have been colored then hollowed out and filled with either confetti or a shimmery powder, are a key part of Carnaval, Mexico's Mardi Gras festival before Lent begins.
This tradition is said to have started in Asia and was brought to Italy by Marco Polo. There, and eventually throughout Europe, men would toss hollow eggs filled with perfume at women they were attracted to.
(Belgian) Empress Carlotta brought the custom to México in the 1860's, during her husband Maximilian's reign. It quickly caught on as a popular art of courtship, with young men and women breaking the colorfully filled eggs over each others' heads at dances as a form of flirtation. Confetti and powders eventually replaced the perfume for the less affluent people of México.
As you can see from the three photos below, the tradition of breaking casacarones over the heads of those of the opposite sex - probably as a form of flirtation - is still going strong.
This custom, seen throughout San Miguel days before Ash Wednesday, has been embraced by everyone. While it's fun to watch the flirtations between teenagers, it's a whole other experience to observe the aggressiveness with which teenage boys have a "go" at one another. Rick likes to watch them chase around, hoping to roughly plop an egg on the head of a friend at an unsuspecting moment. There are times that we can actually hear (and almost feel) the "whack" as the egg (and hand) hits an unlucky head.
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Note: The young man below (second from left) seems to be quite prepared for cáscarones warfare, as evidenced by the helmet he's wearing. |
And then there are the little ones...It's especially fun to watch them - escorted by their parents or grandparents - learning about a tradition that will become a part of who they are and that they will some day teach their own children.
The "price of admission" to this event is free and the cáscarones, sold on the street by the bagful, are cheap. It's great opportunity for people of all ages to come together and to have a good time before the seriousness of the Lenten season begins.
Having one (or more) of these eggs cracked over your head is said to bring good luck. This playful action, unleashing showers of confetti, help heighten the sense of merriment and joy.
It's easy to spot the most popular girls.
They end up with the most confetti and shiny powder in their hair.
Following is a photo of a group of students being released from school. No doubt they are headed toward El Jardín, excited to become part of the cáscarones fun.
So that, my friends, is but one of the many fun and interesting cultural events that we get to witness while in San Miguel. Hope you enjoyed hearing about it and seeing the photos.
P.S. Rick did a little video clip of me getting whacked over the head with an egg (at his request). Will post it if I can figure out how.
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