CUSTOMS & TRADITIONS:
PINATA
By Aislinn Chapotelle
Piñatas encompass history from both the Spanish missionaries as well as the Mayan people. The Spanish used a clay pot piñata to attract converts and used it as a tool to teach theological virtues where the blindfolded person represented faith that cannot be seen striking out against evil (Devlin, 2016). Upon breaking the piñata, it was symbol of divine blessings and gifts for keeping the faith (Devlin, 2016). The Mayan people used a clay pot filled with small gifts as well that was ornately decorated and put on a pole at the end of the year to celebrate the Aztec god of war, Huitzilopochtli (Devlin, 2016). The spilling of the gifts, once broken, symbolized an offering spilling onto the feet of the gods (Devlin, 2016). The Mayans also used piñatas as games where they would blindfold the player and he would attempt to break the pot that was help by a string (Delvin, 2016). Pinatas are used in many Mexican celebrations and traditionally are filled with fruit and candy and are enjoyed by both the young and the old.
(TEMSU MSU, 2012)