The risen Lord, my family Easter traditions, licking eggs?

I saw something that really touched me in a neighbor's front yard today. They had a cross and a sign that read "He is Risen". Now that's what this holiday is all about. Many people decorate with bunnies and eggs but how many actually put a large display of faith like that in their yard? Thank you, for making all of us, including myself, stop and remember what Easter really represents.
Now with that being said. I have to talk about a Schroeder Easter tradition that we have been carrying on for generations...pecking eggs at Easter time. Since I'm not sure how far back this family tradition goes, nor do I have anyone to ask who started it and why...I did a little research and this is what I found:

As a source of new life, the egg was a symbol of creation, spring, and fertility in many cultures and religions, long before the advent of Christianity.In Christian times the egg had bestowed upon it a religious interpretation, becoming a symbol of the rock tomb out of which Christ emerged to the new life of His Resurrection. Ancient cultures saw the egg as a symbol of the rebirth of nature, but Christians came to see it as a symbol of the rebirth of mankind.
The faithful from early times painted Easter eggs in gay colors, had them blessed, ate them, and gave them to friends as Easter gifts.
 In Germany and Austria little nests containing eggs, pastry, and candy are placed in hidden spots, and the children believe that the Easter bunny has laid the eggs and brought the candy. What seems to be the first mention of the Easter bunny and his eggs is a short admonition in a German book of 1572: "Do not worry if the bunny escapes you; should we miss his eggs, then we shall cook the nest." In a German book of the seventeenth century the story that the Easter bunny lays eggs and hides them in the garden, is called "an old fable."
Children and adults in many churches knock their eggs together, saying "Christ is risen!" The purpose actually is to break open the symbolic tomb, so the "winner" is the person whose egg breaks other eggs. The owner of the egg that cracks all of the others open is considered to be specially blessed.


http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1270

If you want to read more I've listed the website above for you.


Now that I read all of that, our tradition of pecking eggs on Easter that I thought was purely a German tradition isn't  really a German tradition at all. Some of the other things mentioned in the article however are German based and my family has carried on many of those traditions. We always had to search for our Easter baskets filled with grass,(which I guess resembles the nests) eggs and candy. Our searching didn't take place in the garden because we were raised in Wisconsin and many Easters have been cold and snowy, so our searches were in the house.  We were always told those baskets were left behind by the Easter Bunny. But I wasn't aware that we should have been saying "Christ is risen!" when we pecked another person's egg.
After mass we got together at our grandparents' home and pecked eggs with, aunts, uncles and cousins. We got to wear our new Easter outfits which meant for us girls a frilly pastel colored dress, white gloves and white patent leather shoes. (You could only wear white shoes from Easter Sunday morning until Labor Day)...don't ask I don't know why and I will research that in a later blog. This was a big event every Easter and a time for family to get together. I've brought this tradition into many other people's lifes. The latest being Aiden's mother's side of the family... the Murphys. At first people look at me like I'm nuts when I'm trying to describe the "pecking technique" but they always want to take part and have loads of fun...and I can guarantee you this will be talked about for years to come when these people get ready to celebrate another Easter. Pecking is unforgettable.  Here are some pictures of today's pecking contest that we had in Phoenix, Arizona.

 The licking of the egg was something that my father always did, so I started and Aiden caught on real quick as you can see the in the last picture. No clue why we do it...
Hope everyone had a fantastic Easter full of your own family traditions and foods.