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THE HISTORY OF PIÑATAS
Most people think of piñatas today
as a fun activity for Mexican parties. Children love them. The
history of the piñata is fascinating and reveals many
interesting facts about piñatas that go beyond the playing
of a game, though piñatas certainly have always been
intended for fun.
The first piñatas
were used in Italy, which may come as a surprise to some. The
Italian word pignatta means "fragile pot." Originally,
all piñatas were made of clay pots (usually in the shape
of a pineapple in Italy), but today, many are made of paper-maché.
The custom moved to Spain
and was originally part of the celebrations for Lent. The Spanish
called the game piñata. The actual clay container was
called an olla, the Spanish word for pot. At first, it was not
decorated. Later, people began to put paper figures around it.
When Spanish missionaries
took piñatas to Mexico, the Aztecs readily accepted them
because they had a custom which was very similar. To celebrate
the birthday of the Aztec god of war, custom required that the
priests place a clay pot on a pole in the temple at year's end
and fill it with tiny treasures. The pot was richly decorated
with colorful feathers. It was broken with a stick or club,
and the treasures that fell to the feet of the god's image were
said to be an offering.
Of course, the religious
significance of the piñatas for the Spanish was quite
different. The piñata represented Satan. It was made
beautiful and bright to get the attention of the innocent person
who came into contact with it. Candies and fruits inside represented
the temptations of the Devil. The person trying to break the
piñata was blindfolded as a representation of blind faith.
The stick for breaking the piñata was a symbol of goodness,
as only good can overcome evil. Once broken, the candies and
fruits then represented a just reward. The moral of the story:
all are justified through faith.
Today, many people are unaware
of the original significance of the piñata and participate
in the game solely for fun. Piñatas are especially popular
during Las Posadas (to ring in the Christmas season) and at
birthday parties.
Piñatas can be found
in all shapes and sizes. Many represent cartoon or other characters
known to most children. Others are shaped like fruits, baskets,
rockets, etc. One's imagination is the limit. One classic shape
is the star, and it is very symbolic. When five-pointed, the
obvious reference is the pentagram (again, a symbol of the Devil
which must be defeated, or broken). Otherwise, it can be thought
of as the star the Wise Men followed to find Baby Jesus. Star
piñatas are especially popular at Christmas for these
very reasons.
Traditionally, piñatas
are filled with both candies and fruits. Around Christmas in
Mexico, they are often filled with wrapped candies, peanuts,
guavas, oranges, jicamas, sugar cane, and tejocotes (a kind
of crab apple found in Mexico). Should any child be found without
a treat after all the goodies are gathered from the ground,
little baskets full of a special candy called colación
are kept on hand to avoid hurt feelings and tears. These are
passed around to everyone before the party is over.
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