I am Metairie born and bred and my family has been in the New Orleans area for quite some time, but I had never heard of “egg pocking” until I met my husband in college. His mom is from Ville Platte and she grew up egg pocking with her six brothers and a sisters. Many people say it’s a Cajun tradition, but the origins are unclear.
So what exactly IS egg pocking? It’s a game! A game where two contestants “pock” their eggs together. Basically two people bump boiled eggs into one another until one cracks. The cracked egg is the loser and the winner gets to keep it. Later all of these eggs are turned into egg salad or potato salad ingredients. Some people try a soft bump, other vicious slam the other person’s egg. Everyone has a different strategy or idea about how best to win the day.
My mother-in-law’s family takes egg pocking very seriously. Aunts and cousins will bring a large supply of eggs so they have several chances to compete. Some decorate their eggs like people do for Easter but others bring plain eggs. They spend a lot of time discussing which types of eggs are the hardest. There’s a consensus that yard eggs perform better than eggs bought at the grocery store. Cajuns also seem to love a little trickery (at least my husband’s family does). Guinea eggs are forbidden. They look like chicken eggs but they are much harder. Using a Guinea egg is considered cheating. One aunt tells the story of finding a wooden egg and wishing she had used that to compete.
I have come to love this tradition. Watching the big smiles on everyone’s face when the eggs come out is so much fun. Anyone can play and there’s always a concerted effort to include all of the children. People are disappointed when they lose but they still laugh and have a good time. It’s really a great addition to any Easter celebration.
So tell me, does your family pock eggs?
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Yes. I grew up doing it in South Louisiana and passed it on to my daughter who is passing it on.
Hi Katy, I’m born and raised in Covington La and never heard of egg poking! I see how it can be a family tradition !! I’m must say I’m admiring that plague on your wall with the rooster in the center surrounded by fleur de lis. Do you mind telling me where you purchased that? Happy Easter!!
That is actually the house of my husband’s aunt but I will ask her!
That is the Orthodox Christian Tradition(Greek, Serbian, Russian, Romanian etc), for the Easter breakfast the family is together and the red colored hard boiled egg is the first thing you will eat after you crack it by saying Christ is risen and the other person replying He is risen indeed while “pocking” egg against egg, the one whose egg is not cracked wins and takes the cracked one…there are even “competitions” organized 🙂
First time I have heard of egg picking!
That is an old Greek tradition in my family. We always did that at my Greek Orthodox relatives’ homes. My Uncle Nick had a wooden egg he tricked us kids with. Won everytime! I miss those days.
In Baltimore it is called egg picking or “Let’s butt eggs”.
I lived in the New Orleans area for 13yrs. and never heard of egg pocking! Sounds like so much fun.
When i was a kid we pocked eggs, but we called it cracking eggs. i’m 81 now. S that was a long time ago.
It is a Greek tradition. It is called tsougrisma.
I had read that the term pocking is based on the French word for Easter, Paque! We’ve done this with my children and grandchildren for many years- lots of fun!
Makes sense to me!
Yes. Did some egg pocking with family and friends in Lafayette, Louisiana on Easter Sunday. Great game between egg hunt and peeling eggs used for devilled eggs and potato salad.
My mother grew up egg pocking in Avolleyes Parish.