What is a Pinata?
PINATAS are fantasic fun for Adults and / or children.
For the past several centuries, pinatas have been used in Latin American countries to celebrate birthdays and La Posada (9 days preceeding Christmas Eve).
However, legend has dated the pinata’s origin back to 14th century China. Supposedly, Chinese farmers used objects similar to what we now know as pinatas which represented the temptations of Satan.
However, once the pinata was broken and the TREASURES fell out, they represented gifts for keeping the faith in goodness and are shared amoung the believers.
The Aztec Indians embraced the pinatas, but not all Mexican Indians used them for the purpose intended by the Spanish Missionaries; and so, the pinata’s meaning was redefined by the indigenous peoples of Mexico. Although converted Mexican Indians performed the Christian ceremonies, other Aztecs adopted the PINATA to use in their own religious ceremonies to honor the Aztec God of War.
This ceremony involved a priest placing a colorfully decorated clay pot on a pole in the temple at year’s end and filling it with treasures. When the pot was broken, the TREASURES fell to the feet of the God’s image. This represented an offering of gifts to the God.
The traditional estrella PINATAS (star pinatas) are still used in religious ceremonies called Posadas, although the seven pointed star represents the Star of Bethlehem that led Los Peregrinos (The Pilgrims) to the Christ’s Nativity. Posadas take place nine days before Dec 24th and are meant to re-enact Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem.
Today, PINATAS come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colors and can be filled with candy, toys, CONFETTI, and other TREASURES. The children are still BLINDFOLDed and spun around, typically once for each year of their age.
How to:
How to fill a pinata.
Each Pinata has an area where you can fill from. For example, The BURRO has one on his back, the BUTTERFLY on it's side and the RACING CAR on it's roof. Buy enough little FAVORS or mini packets of sweets for each of your guests - even adults get very upset if they do not win a prize for playing!
How to hang a pinata.
Find a safe place outside, perhaps hang the pinata from a tree or to make the game more of a challenge, you could tie it to your washing line. Make sure you put a rug or something covering the ground below the PINATA to catch all the goodies and you are ready to play!
How to play the PINATA game.
First, you BLINDFOLD a person, spin them around three times or traditionally once for each year of their age (children under 12 I would imagine!).Then put a BUSTER STICK in their hand. They can then try to hit the PINATA a selected number of times (usually 2 or 3 times). Take turns spinning the players and hitting the piñata until it is broken. Share the sweets and favors between the players and have a special prize for the winner who managed to hit the Pinata open.
