Eggs filled with confetti were decorated for good luck as part of Latino Heritage Month Tuesday.

A workshop on how to make cascarones, eggshells filled with confetti, was given for students in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Kristin Routt, associate professor of foreign language, said cascarones can be crushed or thrown over the heads of children to bring good luck.

Today, cascarones are made with hallowed eggs, decorated on the outside with dye or markers and filled with confetti.

In Guatemala, instead of Easter, people celebrate Holy Week with food, family and prayer.

Guatemalans partake in a spiritual process called “los via crucis,” or the Stations of the Cross, where participants make 14 stops throughout the community, including homes and churches, Routt said.

There are decorated alters at each stop, Routt said. The altars are covered with candles, fruit, decorative paper and flowers.

Special celebrations that are observed are parades where people play instruments, sing or pray. At night, many people carry candles while they walk the streets praying.

During these parades, the procession walks on las alfombra, which are colored saw dust carpets made from stencils. These are started late Thursday and finished late Friday, just in time for the parade to start, Routt said.

Routt had pictures of detailed alfombra designs and said it was a religious sacrifice by those who designed it because it will be destroyed.

Cascarones date back to the Renaissance when eggs were filled with scented water instead of confetti to bring good luck but also help personal hygiene, she said.

Juan Aponte, a senior management major, said he came to learn more about his culture and to fulfill class requirements. Aponte’s family is from Mexico and knows the customs that go along with Holy Week and using cascarones.

“I’m going to let my mom know that we should do cascarones for Easter this year,” Aponte said.

Maryam Kamber, a freshman elementary education major, was new to the idea of the Central American celebration.

“It’s not hard to do and it’s fun! I liked decorating the egg with my style,” Kamber said.

This spring, Holy Week will begin the first week of April.

Cayla Maurer can be reached at 581-2812 or ccmaurer@eiu.edu.