Piñatas

Mexico is a country where multiple traditions have merged.  The Mexicans have adopted Christmas traditions from countries like the US but of course their version of Christmas involves a piñata.

Usually throughout the year, piñatas can be found in the shape of burros, unicorns, cartoon characters and even Donald Trump.

But when December rolls around, one can buy piñatas in the shape of Christmas trees, reindeers, and even Santa and Mrs. Claus, though I'm not sure if Santa would put you on the naughty or nice list if you were to whack him open with a stick.

The most common piñata we saw was shaped like a star with seven points.  Each of the points represents one of the seven deadly sins: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth.  Breaking the piñata meant breaking free of these sinful temptations. As a reward, you were showered by God's grace, traditionally represented by the fruits and peanuts inside the piñata but these have been replaced by candy.

Piñatas are broken during "posadas" which Mexicans host during the 9 days leading up to Christmas (December 16-24).  The 9 days represent the 9 months of Mary's pregnancy, as well as Mary and Joseph's quest to find shelter before the birth of Jesus. Although some families still celebrate posadas with re-enactments of this quest, for many Mexicans, posadas are simply a time to party.Read more