Cascarones for the People

I witnessed the oldest passion play in the US last week at San Fernando cathedral. This spectacle is every year since 1740. As part of his chastisement, Jesus fell vicitm to many cascarones - just kidding. No, just shouts of mock scorn. The missionaries started this ritual to show the indians the awful sufferings of Christ. As if they needed to learn of suffering.

Jesus is fine this year. On the other hand, cascarones, a Fiesta favorite, might not be faring so well. As Wikipedia explains:

Cascarones or confetti eggs are festive, hollow chicken egg shells, filled with confetti, meant to be thrown or broken over someone's head (usually as a surprise from behind), scattering confetti all over the person. Breaking the eggs over someone's head can be quite painful if done hard enough, however, this is most often done between friends, usually teenagers. Cascarones derived from Mexico and have recently regained popularity in the southwestern United States. They are used for many different occasions but, especially Easter. Having one broken over your head is said to bring good luck.

So for years, the young and old could spotted smashing each other over the head for a couple of weeks during fiesta. The amunition came from the big Cowboy Breakfest in February, where all the trailriders eat in the pouring rain. 40,000 blown egg shells where distributed to the populace for cascarone use. But this year that came to a halt. To make matters worse, the U.S. banned the import of Mexican cascarones because of an out-break of Farrington's Disease that could decimate the chicken population.

I remain skepticle since corporate manufactured cascarones are flodding the city through HEB Groceries - the monopoly that controls out food supply.

It is impossible to find a dozen cascarones for less the $1.50. We'll see where this goes.