Origin Of The Piñatas

Piñatas |
English Project |
Karla Fernanda Reynoso Sujo. |

-------------------------------------------------
Piñatas

A piñata (Spanish pronunciation: [piˈɲata]) is a container made oftenof papier-mâché, pottery, or cloth and decorated, filled with small toys and/or candy, and then broken as part of a ceremony or celebration. Piñatas are most commonly associated with Mexico, but theirorigins are considered to be in China. The idea of breaking a container filled with treats came to Europe in the 14th century, where the name, from the Italian “pignatta” was introduced. The Spanishbrought the European tradition to Mexico, although there were similar traditions in Mesoamerica. The Aztecs had a similar tradition to honor the birthday of the god Huitzilopochtli in mid December.According to local records, the Mexican piñata tradition began in the town of Acolman, just north of Mexico City, where piñatas were introduced for catechism purposes as well as to co-opt theHuitzilopochtli ceremony. Today, the piñata is still part of Mexican culture, the cultures of other countries in Latin America, as well as the United States, but it has mostly lost its religious character.-------------------------------------------------
History
Most people think of piñatas as a fun activity for parties but they have a long history. There is some debate but it appears that its originis not Spanish but rather Chinese. The Chinese version was in the shape of a cow or ox and used for the New Year. It was decorated with symbols and colors meant to produce a favorable climate for thecoming growing season. It was filled with five types of seeds and then hit with sticks of various colors. After the piñata was broken, the remains were burned and the ashes kept for good luck.Piñatas arrived to Europe in the 14th century where they were adapted to the celebrations of Lent. The first Sunday of Lent became "Piñata Sunday". In Spain, this festival was called the Dance of the...