What In The World Is Easter Egg Pocking?

Below the Mason-Dixon, Southerners know the importance of rare cultural traditions, and boy, do we have a few! Whether we’re writing hand-written thank-you notes, burying a bottle of bourbon, monograming our towels, or enjoying tamales on Christmas Eve, wacky customs are what make the South truly special. With Easter Sunday right around the corner, it’s time to celebrate all the remarkable activities that surround the holiday.

WATCH: Homemade Blueberry Easter Egg Dye

Most Southern families will be attending church, making resurrection rolls, and dying Easter eggs, but there is one unique Cajun tradition I bet you’ve never heard of – pocking! In my house, pocking Easter eggs is a hilarious custom that everyone in the family eagerly anticipates each and every year. It’s very simple and notably competitive. Here’s how it works: Participants pick what they hope to be the strongest Easter egg in the bunch and continue by challenging another person. Once the challenge is accepted, one person holds their egg steady while the other person slowly taps the top of the shell with their egg of choice. The loser? The one holding the egg that cracks first, who then passes their egg to the winner. This process continues until only one egg is left standing; it’s like a tournament!

Of course, winning the Easter egg pocking contest grants you bragging rights for the entire year, and you take home an assortment of eggs. We’ve played this Southern game at my house in Louisiana on Easter Sunday for as long as I can remember. In fact, we take it so seriously that one particular year my dad actually cheated. That’s right, he bought a dyed wooden egg and tricked us into believing it was normal. It wasn’t until after he had dominated the pocking contest that we realized it was rigged. He was obviously disqualified.

So, after your Easter egg hunt, and before making the potato salad, be sure to give this Cajun tradition a try. Pocking will bring lots of laughs and joyful memories into your house on Easter Sunday!