Updated: 11:43, Monday December 23, 2013
skynews.com
Pinatas are an essential part of a traditional Christmas in Mexico, a mostly Catholic country.
Many
of the pinatas used at posadas, or Christmas parties, are manufactured
in Nezahualcoyotl, on the outskirts of Mexico City, where dozens of
pinata workshops are located.
Pinatas are made from ball-shaped
objects and covered with paper cones, once the cones are dry, they are
covered in colourful papier mache.
Although pinatas come in
different shapes and sizes nowadays, the traditional star pinata must
have seven spikes representing the seven deadly sins: greed, gluttony,
sloth, pride, envy, wrath and lust.
Pinata maker Gerardo Hernandez told Reuters this year people are spending more money on eye-catching pinatas.
"This
year there's been more production than last year. It's like everything
else, what you have to invest, do you have money to invest in different
varieties.
People always look for something new, strong colours to
attract attention, because if you see a pinata with very plain colours
it doesn't attract attention. It's said that it reflects sadness," he
said.
Pinatas are broken during Mexican posadas, a family
get-together to commemorate Mary and Joseph's search for shelter on
Christmas Eve before the birth of Jesus Christ.
Posadas take place in the nine days leading up to Christmas, two groups stand on either side of a door.
The
first group carries candles and represents the traditional nativity
scene of Mary and Joseph asking for lodging. The second group represents
the inn keepers. Both groups join together in song.
Mexico City resident Maria Eugenia Tosqui told Reuters Mexicans are faithful to their traditions.
"We like to follow traditions and this for us in the posadas is very moving," she said.
The
pinata tradition is highly symbolic. The breaking of the pinata
symbolises man's struggle to fight temptation and his wish to eliminate
evil.
The pinata itself represents Satan. When it is broken by a
stick, symbolising virtue, fruit and peanuts fall to the ground,
reminiscent of grace and God's reward for choosing the right path.
Sometimes the person hitting the pinata is blindfolded as a reminder of
the person's faith in God's will.
The origin of the pinata is
unclear. Some say that it was found by Marco Polo on his travels to
China and brought to Europe, it was then introduced to Mexico during the
Spanish Conquest; others say that the tradition stems back to Aztec
times, where a clay pot was painted with the face Tlaloc, the God of
Water: The pot was filled with water and broken to symbolise a thunder
storm and the downpour of rain.
Regardless of its origin, the pinata eventually took on religious symbolism.
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