What is a piñata?:
A piñata is a figure, usually made from a clay pot covered with paper mache and decorated in bright colors, with candy and fruit inside. At parties piñatas are suspended from a rope and children, usually blind-folded, take turns hitting it with a stick until it breaks and the candy falls out onto the ground and the children rush to collect it. Breaking the piñata is a fun activity at Mexican parties.
History and Meaning of the Piñata:
It is said that in Mexico's early days as a colony of Spain, some friars used the piñata as a metaphor in order to teach the native people about the Catholic religion. The original piñata was a star with seven points. The points represented the seven deadly sins. The blindfold represented faith and the stick, virtue. The goodies inside the piñata symbolized the riches of the kingdom of heaven. Thus imparting the message that with faith and virtue one can overcome sin and receive all the rewards of heaven.
The Piñata Today:
In Mexico piñatas are an important part of birthday parties and other parties for children. They also figure prominently in the celebration of posadas at Christmastime. Piñatas now come in a wide variety of designs, such as cartoon characters and animals.
The Piñata Song:
As the piñata is being hit, a song is sung:
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
