Piñatas are clay pot containers covered with brightly-colored paper mache and filled with candy, fruit, or other assorted treats. Traditionally, piñatas are suspended from ceilings by ropes as part of a party. Children take turns hitting them with sticks until they break. _(1)_ Most commonly associated with Mexican culture, piñatas are long believed to have originated in Europe and then been brought to Mexico by the Spanish in the late 16th century. _(2)_ These early Mexican piñatas were shaped like seven-point stars. _(3)_ The candy and other treats inside the piñata represented the rewards of Heaven. Such highly-religious significance seems practically forgotten in the modern, secular age. Although there is some debate, some people claim that China made the first piñatas. _(4)_ They were often used in observance of the lunar New Year. The containers were hit with sticks of different colors. The idea was to ask for favorable weather for the upcoming growing season. Similar traditions exist in parts of India, Japan, and the Philippines. _(5)_ The not-so-easy-to-reach pots are for children to break and claim the prizes. In the Japanese version, which is called suikawari, people split a watermelon with a stick while blindfolded, and the first to crack the watermelon open wins. Nowadays, piñatas are largely a Western phenomenon. They are especially popular in Mexican-American communities in the US, where they are used for birthdays, Christmas, and other holiday celebrations. (A) In Maharashtra, India, clay pots are filled with treats or money and hung in public places as part of Krishna's birthday festivities. (B) In the days leading up to Christmas, Mexican priests introduced them during Mass, the main worship service of the Catholic religion. (C) As the treats fall to the floor, the kids rush to grab them. (D) Blindfolded children enjoy playing hide and seek. (E) The points represented the seven deadly sins while the piñata's bright colors represented temptation. (F) Chinese piñatas were designed in the shape of an ox and filled with different kinds of seeds. |
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