History
The origin of the Pinata is Chinese not Hispanic. It was used
to celebrate the coming of spring, where colored-paper figures of cows, oxen or buffalo covered with colored paper and adorned
with harnesses and trappings. Special colors traditionally greeted the Chinese 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.
As a result of Marco Polo's adventures into China, in the 14th century he introduced this Chinese custom which was adopted
by the Spanish as well as by the French and Italians. It adapted to the celebrations of Lent. The
first Sunday became ‘Piņata Sunday’. Originally, piņatas fashioned without a base resembled clay containers for
carrying water, they called it "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 piņata to convert the indigenous.
But indigenous peoples already had a similar tradition. To celebrate
the birthday of the Aztec god of war, Huitzilopochtli. The priest added colorful feathers to a 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.
