A look at the Cajun tradition of egg 'paquing'

LOUISIANA (KPLC) - Eggs aren't just for cooking, especially when Easter rolls around in southern Louisiana. Tradition dictates that Cajun families will hard-boil eggs, dye them and then smack them together to see which is the strongest.

Coming from the French word for Easter, "Pâques," the Cajun French verb "pâquer" indicates the action of two people each holding an egg in one fist with the smaller end up, then knocking them together in a tournament style.

Egg pâquing remains popular in the Acadiana region, with the most prominent celebration in Marksville. There, a public, annual contest is hosted on the courthouse lawn.

The tradition, also known as "pocking" or "egg knocking," typically leads to a lot of cracked eggs ... and a lot of egg or potato salad for the Easter holiday.

Eggs have long been a part of religious festivities: Egyptians and Hindus painted eggs to mark the coming of spring, Ukrainians meticulously decorate

pysankas

, and Russia houses a large collection of jewel-encrusted

Fabergé

eggs.

Whatever your plans are this Easter Sunday, remember there may be more to your meal than meets the eye.