What are Cascarones?

I’d like to introduce you to Mr. And Mrs. Cascaron.
They, along with their children, are staying with us
as we prepare for Detroit’s Cinco de Mayo Fiesta.
Originally from Detroit,
the Cascarones moved to Nuevo Mexico shortly after being married.
They have three children,
pictured here.

Muñeca Amarilla, their only daughter and youngest child,
can hardly wait for the fiesta.
"How many niños attend the fiesta each year,"
she asks, innocently.
You see, La Amarilla has never attended
the Cinco de Mayo in Detroit.

Azulito and Guerito,
the couple’s teenage sons,
have both attended the Cinco de Mayo
and know well how large the crowds can be.
"Just wait and see,"
they tell their little egghead sister.

Even family from Chicago are coming in.
Yes, that’s right!
Many folks from Chicago
make the trip to Detroit
just to attend
the Cinco de Mayo Fiesta.
Mr. Cascaron can be seen here
with his sons and some of his nephews,
who just drove up from Chicago
to participate in the event.

And, yes, that’s right.
You guessed it!
The whole lot of them are staying with us
as we prepare for the Cinco de Mayo Fiesta!
We have a spare bedroom for Mr. and Mrs.
But all of the Cascaron children
(quite literally)
are camping out in my living room!

But who are the Cascarones?
And what is their role in The Cinco de Mayo festivities?
Perhaps the better question is
What, eggs-actly, are Casacarones?

Cascarones are eggshells that are
brightly and creatively decorated.
Crafters save eggshells all year long
and then begin their artistic craft
of decorating them in time for a fiesta.

The Casacrones are filled with confetti.
Children use them to play pranks on their
friends and siblings,
often breaking the confetti filled eggs
over each other’s heads!
But be careful!
Cascarones filled with flour
have been known
to occasionally make their way
into a fiesta!
And, the thing is,
having a Cascaron smashed against your head
is said to bring you good luck!

Cascarones will abound
at Detroit’s Cinco de Mayo fiesta.
Come on down and meet
Mr. And Mrs. Cascaron
and all of their eggs-tended family!

You know,
it just wouldn’t be a Mexican Fiesta
without Cascarones!
Click here for Detroit’s Cinco de Mayo
Fiesta Schedule.