Since Easter was yesterday, I'll share our egg-cracking tradition. I have a feeling it's Eastern-European in origin but don't know much else about it, other than the fact that it's been happening in my family for eons.

Before dyeing them, we use a crayon to write each person's name on a hard-boiled egg. After grace but before dinner, we each put a dollar in the middle of the table (parents ante up for their kids, including babies!). Then we hit our egg against someone else's egg and try to crack the other person's egg. Everyone has a different technique for this. wink The person with the last egg standing (uncracked) gets all the money.

Yes, I realize that it's a little odd to gamble on Easter. We're generally not a gambling family, and I grew up attending Mass at least 3 times a week. But the egg cracking is so fun and everyone (especially the kids) really look forward to it, and try to predict who will win, what strategies will be used, etc. Our son was so excited to be the winner yesterday! (Sometimes we try to throw it so that a child wins, but it's not always possible.)

Also on Easter, we break unleavened bread and make wishes for other people for the coming year. I'm not sure about the origins for this tradition, either. But it's a nice one, too, and plays on the "new beginning" aspect of the holiday.

Tara