Most people think of
piñatas as a fun activity for parties. The history of the
piñata reveals many interesting facts that go beyond the playing of a game, although
piñatas certainly have been intended for fun.
Piñatas may have originated in China. Marco Polo discovered
the Chinese fashioning figures of cows, oxen or buffaloes, covered with
colored paper and adorned with harnesses and trappings. Special colors
traditionally greeted the New Year. When the mandarins knocked the
figure hard with sticks of various colors, seeds spilled forth. After
burning the remains, people gathered the ashes for good luck throughout
the year.
When this custom passed into Europe in the 14th century, it adapted to the celebrations of Lent. The first Sunday became
‘Piñata Sunday’. The Italian word
‘pignatta’ means "fragile pot." Originally,
piñatas
fashioned without a base resembled clay containers for carrying water.
Some say this is the origin of the traditional pineapple shape. Also the
Latin prefix
‘piña’ implies a cluster of flowers or fruits as in ‘pineapples’ and ‘pine cones’.
When the custom spread to Spain, the first Sunday in Lent became a
fiesta called the ‘Dance of the Piñata’. The Spanish used a clay container called
la olla, the Spanish word for pot. At first,
la olla was not decorated. Later, ribbons, tinsel and fringed paper were added and wrapped around the pot.
At the beginning of the 16th century the Spanish missionaries to North America used the
piñata
to attract converts to their ceremonies. However indigenous peoples
already had a similar tradition. To celebrate the birthday of the Aztec
god of war, Huitzilopochtli, priests placed a clay pot on a pole in the
temple at year's end. Colorful feathers adorned the richly decorated
pot, filled with tiny treasures.. When broken with a stick or club, the
treasures fell to the feet of the god's image as an offering. The
Mayans, great lovers of sport played a game where the player’s eyes were
covered while hitting a clay pot suspended by string. The missionaries
ingeniously transformed these games for religious instruction. They
covered the traditional pot with colored paper, giving it an
extraordinary, perhaps fearful appearance.
The decorated clay pot also called a
cantero represents Satan who often wears an attractive mask to attract humanity. The most traditional style
piñata looks a bit like Sputnik, with seven points, each with streamers. These cones represent the seven deadly sins,
pecados - greed, gluttony, sloth, pride, envy, wrath and lust. Beautiful and bright, the
piñata tempted. Candies and fruits inside represented the
cantaros (temptations)of wealth and earthly pleasures.
Thus, the
piñata reflected three theological virtues in the
catequismo. (religious instruction or catechism)
The blindfolded participant represents the leading force in defying evil,
‘Fe’,
faith, which must be blind. People gathered near the player and spun
him around to confuse his sense of space. Sometimes the turns numbered
thirty three in memory of the life of Christ. The voices of others cry
out guidance:
¡Más arriba! More upwards!
¡Abajo! Lower!
¡Enfrente! In front!
Some call out
engaños (deceits, or false directions) to disorient the hitter.
Secondly the
piñata served as a symbol of
‘Esperanza’, Hope.
With the
piñata hanging above their heads, people watched towards
los cielos (sky or heaven) yearning and waiting for the prize. The stick for breaking the
piñata
symbolized virtue, as only good can overcome evil. Once broken, the
candies and fruits represented the just reward for keeping faith.
Finally the
piñata symbolized
‘Caridad’, Charity. With its eventual breaking, everyone shared in the divine blessings and gifts.
The moral of the
piñata: all are justified through faith.
Today, the
piñata has lost its religious symbolism and most participate in the game solely for fun.
Piñatas are especially popular during
Las Posadas,
traditional processions ringing in the Christmas season and at birthday
parties. During festivities, people traditionally sing songs while
breaking the
piñatas.
“Dale, dale, dale, no perdas el tino,
porque si lo perdes, pierdes el camino.
Esta piñata es de muchas mañas, sólo contiene naranjas y cañas.”
Hit, hit, hit.
Don’t lose your aim,
Because if you lose, you lose the road.
This
piñata is much manna, only contains oranges and sugar cane.”
Another popular song for hitting the
piñata is rooted
in the year 1557 when dignitaries of Felipe II toured towns in New
Spain. While exacting pledges of allegiance, coins of nickel were
offered for coins of silver. This failed to please the people so as they
break
piñatas during
las posadas, they sing:
"No quiero níquel ni quiero plata:
yo lo que quiero es romper la piñata."
“I don’t want nickel/I don’t want silver
I only want to break the piñata…”
Piñatas can be found in all shapes and sizes. Modern ones
often represent cartoon or other characters known to most children.
Others are shaped like fruits, baskets, rockets etc. Sometimes people of
political statue are satirized. At Christmas, star-shaped
piñatas suggestive of the Star of Bethlehem are especially popular. One’s imagination is the creative limit.
Traditionally,
piñatas are filled with both candies and fruits. Around Christmas in Mexico, wrapped candies, peanuts, guavas, oranges,
jicamas(a sweet root vegetable), sugar cane, and
tejocotes (a kind of crab apple) stuff
piñatas. Some types of
piñatas
called traps, are stuffed with flour, confetti or ‘flowery water’. Any
child without a treat after the goodies are gathered from the ground is
given a little basket full of special candy. These
colaciónes
are kept on hand to avoid hurt feelings and tears. The rest of the
treats are passed around to everyone before the party is over.
Towns of potters once existed to fashion ‘
ollas piñateras’, bare clay pots sold in the
mercado.
(market) People took them home and pasted their own colored paper to
them. Cardboard and paper maché often fashioned over balloons has
replaced ‘
la olla’ in many modern
piñatas.
The
piñata’s versatility contributes to its perennial
popularity. Fashioned from a long tradition the joyous piñata continues
to enchant celebrations and parties around the world.
In Mexico you will hear parents and children singing this special
Piñata song.
"Dale, dale, dale, no pierdas el tino,
porque si lo pierdes, pierdes el camino.
Esta piñata es de muchas mañas, sólo contiene naranjas y cañas."
La piñata tiene caca,
Tiene caca:
Cacahuates de a montón.
Esta piñata es de muchas mañas,
Sólo contiene naranjas y cañas.
No quiero oro, ni quiero plata,
Yo lo que quiero es romper la piñata.
Ándale Juana, no te dilates
Con la canasta de los cacahuates.
Anda María, sal del rincón
Con la canasta de la colación.
En esta posada nos hemos chasqueado
Porque Teresita nada nos ha dado.
Echen confites y canelones,
a los muchachos que son muy tragones.
Todos los muchachos rezaron con devoción,
De chochos y confites les dan ya su ración.
Castaña asada, piña cubierta;
Echen a palos a los de la puerta.
Ándale Juan, sal de la hornilla
Con la botella de la manzanilla.
De los cerritos y los cerrotes,
Saltan y brincan los tejocotes.
Andale niña, sal otra vez
Con la botella del vino jerez.
Esta posada le tocó a Carmela:
si no da nada le saco una muela.
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