The traditional Mexican Catholic piñata
The traditional Mexican Catholic piñata was in the shape of a star with seven points representing theseven deadly sins (lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride). The colorful pot represented evil filled with tempting candy and fruit. The tasty treats represented the disguised temptations that corruption brings. Spinning and singing represented being disoriented by temptation while the stick was representative of virtue, or the will to overcome sin. And the blindfold over the eyes was meant to be the faith required to fight evil.
The origins
Though Piñatas are strongly associated with Mexico today, they may have originated in China, where they were used to celebrate the new year. Clay figures of oxen, buffaloes, or cows were decorated with colorful paper and ribbons and filled with seeds in hopes of bringing good weather for that year's crops. The figures were broken with sticks, and the seeds that fell out were then burned to ash, which was gathered for good luck in the year to come.
The piñata tradition reached Europe during the 14th century, where it integrated into Lent, a Christian celebration. In Spain, "PiñataSunday," or Dance of the Piñata, was celebrated during the first Sunday ofLent. While the early Spanish celebrations began with only a simple clay pot, later traditions included decorating the clay containers with colored paper, ribbons, and tinsel.
During the 16th century, the European piñata celebrations were brought to Mexico; however, the Aztecs and Mayans already had similar traditions. The Aztecs would fill clay jars with offerings for the Aztec God of War, Huitzilopochtli. The worshippers would decorate them with colorful feathers. When the pot was busted open, the treasures would fall onto the god's feet as a gift. The Mayans had a game where a blindfolded player would hit a clay pot suspended from a string. When Spanish missionaries saw these traditions, they adapted piñatas for use in religious instruction. In 1586 the Augustinian friars received authorization from thePope to hold special masses in the days leading up to Christmas. It was at these masses that the star-shaped piñata representing the seven deadly sins was first introduced. The piñata was used as an allegory to teach the native people of the region about Christianity.
Piñatas in Mexican celebrations
The only time of year that piñatas are more popular in Mexican celebrations than at birthday parties is in the Celebration of the Posadas at Christmas, where the focus may be more on the traditional, religious symbolism. Although most Christmas piñatas are filled with fruit and candy, during Posadas, there may also be piñata"traps" filled with confetti, flour, or liquid. Treat baskets called colaciónes are given to children who miss out on the treats after a piñata is busted to avoid negative feelings.
Today, piñatas are still a huge part of birthday parties, especially in Mexican culture. In Mexico, the piñatas are filled with fruit and candy such as guava, sugar cane, and wrapped candies, precisely like the candy that you can purchase at Candy Spot. Over the years, the piñata busting ceremony has mostly remained the same, even though most religious significance has been forgotten.
Mexican birthday party piñatas are no longer made of clay pots, as the broken, falling shards pose a danger to children. Cardboard and papier-mâché' are much safer. Today, piñatas also are available in a wide variety of shapes. It is not unusual for parties to feature a piñata that looks like a favorite superhero, a cartoon character, animals, flowers, or any other item the child likes.
The Piñata Song
Partygoers don't generally focus on the traditional meaning when they are playing. It's simply a fun birthday tradition done just before cutting the birthday cake. When a person's turn arrives, they are handed a stick, blindfolded, and spun around a few times before trying to hit the piñata as it hangs above them from a string. As a player is taking their turn, other guests sing The Piñata Song:
Dale, dale, dale
No pierdas el tino
Por que si lo pierdes,
Pierdes el camino
Ya le diste uno
Ya le diste dos
Ya le diste tres
Y tu tiempo se acabo
Translation:
Hit it, hit it, hit it
Don't lose your aim
Because if you lose it
You will lose your way
You hit it once
You hit it twice
You hit it three times
And your time is up
While the group sings, another person moves the piñata string around, making it harder to hit. If the piñata has not been broken open by the time the song is over, it is the next participant's turn. This continues until the piñata spills out all of the candy inside. As soon as the candy begins to fall everyone at the party rushes to grab as much as they can. Everyone loves a piñata!
If you have an upcoming birthday celebration
You do not want to miss out on the fun a piñata will add to you revent. Come into Candy Spot for easy-to-fill piñatas and delicious candy. CandySpot has all the traditional Mexican candy brands you need to stuffyour piñata and have a fantastic birthday party.
