do pinatas have a spiritual message

[pohaikawahine]

I looked everywhere and couldn't figure out where to put this post, but it is more something to share because most of us are familiar with the "pinata" which is an object filled usually with candy hung from a tree that children hit with a stick to break open during birthday parties and other occasions. The children are blindfolded and so everyone has a good time when the pinata is missed or when it is finally opened up and all the candy falls to the earth.

Just read a small article from the local newspaper about a couple in this area that make Pinatas (with a great little story about how they met and fell in love) .... and the article says "pinatas have a colorful history. Marco Polo brought the pinata back from China. From Italy, it floated to Spain and then to the New World. In the beginning, the pinata had religious symbolism: blind faith striking at evil; virtue rewarded by a shower of grace." You know,I love symbols ....aloha nui, pohaikawahine

[Bandit]

i was at a party where they did that. but we did not know that it was made so hard that it took them way over an hour. they beat it & beat it & it would not crack open.

the whole thing was a joke on an elder person. she could not crack it open & no one else could either. it was quite funny. the pinata was finally lowered & they showed everyone how hard & thick it was made.
the person who made it, took a hammer to it until it opened & there was a whole bunch of money inside for the elder.

i dont think this pinata had a spiritual message, but made for some good laughs.
that was the only time i have ever seen it done & it was fun.

[InLove]

Hi, peace--

Where I live, you can buy piñatas on just about every corner! One year, we decided to make one for a birthday party, and in researching how to do this, I ran across a bit of history-very similar to what you have mentioned, pohaikawahine.


I remember reading that in China, colored seeds were used inside, and I believe it was used to celebrate the New Year, and that when the Spanish (who had gotten the tradition from the Chinese, through traders and explorers like Polo) came to the "New World", they found that societies like the Aztecs and Mayans already had a similar tradition using clay pots covered with feathers. All had some kind of religious significance.


InPeace,
InLove

[InLove]

Hi, me again

I am not sure if it is okay to post the link, but I did run across the research I mentioned.

If you type in "Mexico Connect" or "History of the Piñata", you can find an excellent article addressing its spiritual significance throughout history, as well as the lyrics to a song about it.

InPeace,
InLove

[pohaikawahine]

mahalo .... I'll check out the link. I have a pinata sitting on my kitchen table right now .... on Cinco de Mayo (holiday associated with Mexico) I was sitting in a restaurant and it fell on my head, I took it home because I figured it wanted to come home with me, lol.

Don't know if that the was "rain of grace" or the "reign of terror", but it was funny. Another symbol "the god's eye" made of yarn use to be hung on trees and left .... they are fun to make and great projects for children. I'm trying to teach my grandson early how to read symbols and his current nickname is "mo'o" which means "dragon" (which he loves because he is 9 years old). I'll check out more on the history and siginficance of the pinata. aloha nui, pohaikawahine

[InLove]

LOL, pohaikawahine! Good thing the piñata that fell on your head was not of the ancient clay pot variety!