Without a question, the tradition of breaking the piñatas is one that the children like the most at the holiday parties. It's almost a fun and exciting ritual: you don't know who will be the boy or girl who breaks it and you don't know what kind of sweets, fruits or surprises you may be able to catch once they fall to the ground.
It’s even more fun, when you are trying to break it while blindfolded and your friends or classmates yell at the top of their lungs where the swinging piñata is hanging from a moving rope. The boys and girls wait expectantly around; They watch the piñata attentively and laugh profusely when you fail to hit it. We all want to break it and we love it when they sing "dale, dale, dale, no pierdas el tino ..."
Our dear piñatas are a reason for gathering and reproducing one of the most picturesque traditions in Mexico. It is also exciting and a reason for family gathering and loved ones to get involved in its making: from planning the shape it will have, what colors and materials will be used, all the way until the finished product.
The tradition is so ingrained that they’re even exported every year, so that our fellow citizens who live in other countries can reproduce the ritual and live unforgettable moments beyond borders.
Its origin
The origin of the piñatas is diverse: it is believed that they come from China, and that through commercial exchanges they arrived to Italy and Spain. Afterwards, they arrived to Mexico through the Augustinian missionaries. The first place where the piñatas, as we know them, were introduced was Acolman, a municipality of the State of Mexico.
Another origin is the Mexica and Mayan people: in pre-Columbian times they used to make hollow vessels and sculptures of their deities, made of clay, which they filled with grains or fruits, and later broke in the middle of a ritual that meant abundance.
Although, the traditional way is based on a clay pot covered with colorful paper and seven peaks, Today the tradition has evolved and the piñatas take on a variety of shapes, colors, designs and are not only protagonists during the Christmas holidays, but even on birthdays and other holidays.
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