Piñata Day is a celebration that honours the history and artistry of piñatas. Piñatas, which are traditionally made of papier-mâché and filled with sweets or gifts, originated in ancient China and were later brought to Mexico. They appear at children's birthday parties, even here in Australia.
The word piñata is thought to be from the Italian word 'pignatta' which means 'clay pot'.Piñatas were brought to Italy by Marco Polo in the thirteenth century and came into favor there during the following century. Following their rise in Italy, piñatas gained popularity in Spain, where they were commonly used during Lent.
In the sixteenth century, friars introduced piñatas to Mexico—the country they are most associated with today—where they became steeped in religious symbolism. They were formed into the shape of a seven-coned star, with each cone standing for one of the deadly sins. Their bright colors represented the temptation to fall into those sins. Blindfolding represented faith, as someone swinging a stick had to blindly do so and have faith they would be successful. Those gathered around could encourage or deceive the person behind the blindfold.
Piñatas are extremely popular in Mexico as part of Las Posadas or the Twelve Days of Christmas.
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