About Piñatas
The word piñata comes from the Italian word pignatta -
meaning pot - which in turn is thought to come from a Latin word
meaning pine cone; but this as well as the origins of the piñata
are in fact a little uncertain.
Some say that the piñata was discovered by the explorer
Marco Polo who, on his travels, is said to have come across Chinese
farmers covering and shaping hollow objects with paper to make them
look like farm animals. These the farmers would use in their celebrations
and ceremonies as a symbol of hope for a good harvest. This custom
Marco Polo is then said to have brought to Europe where it was adopted
for the first Sunday of Lent celebrations.
Others say that the origins of the piñata began in Italy
or Spain, and that it may have been the Spanish who introduced the
piñata to Mexico. Here clay pots were covered in brightly
colored paper fashioned into seven cones to represent the seven
deadly sins, and filled with little 'treasures' - temptations of
the devil.
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