If you haven't had a egg filled with confetti broken over your head by a stranger on a street, perhaps, you have never been to the Santa Barbara's Fiesta celebration, also called Old Spanish Days.
The most colorful event of the summer has been held in the city since 1924 . It represents the glorious Rancho Period in the history of California, when the region was ruled by Spaniards. So, there are horses, a lot of them! And of course those eggs - cascarones in Spanish. Nobody knows exactly where the tradition came from. Some sources imply it was Marco Polo who brought it to Europe from his travels to China.
Anyway, somehow cascarones were eventually introduced to the New World - I assume by Spanish colonists. Untill these days they are an indispensable part of any event or celebration as well as an instrument of flirtation. Thus, don't be mad if somebody smashes an egg on your had, ruining three hours of meticulous blow drying. They just like you and can't help it!))))
