Pinatas

Beautiful, colorful, and candy-filled they are called piñatas. Millions of people use piñatas year round for many different occasions like; birthdays and many Spanish and Mexican holidays and traditions. It was said that they dated back to the fourteenth century, in China, were they were, and first made using clay pots decorated with colorful paper shapes to make them look like farm animals. Supposedly, Marco Polo discovered the traditions on his expectation around the world .He founded out that each color that they used had a specific meaning according to the celebration. Their figures were filled with seeds, to signify abundant harvests and ensuring prosperity. The Mandarins beat the figures with sticks until they busted. They threw the remaining of the figures into a fire. Some of the villagers collected the ashes to take home to ensure good luck and abundance upon the year. Marco Polo was so inspired with the objects that he took some back to Europe with him, It was reported that piñatas had originated among the Aztecs, Mayans, and other native people of Mexico. They made clay pots of their gods and broke them with sticks to signify abundance and favor for their gods. During the birthday celebrations of the Aztecs God of War priests put a clay pot on a pole in the temple. The pot was decorated with colorful feathers and filled with small treasures like bead ornaments, colorful and painted stones, berries, nuts and many more things. The center player was blinded folded while trying to hit the pot that was held by a string. When the pot was broken the little treasures spilled on the feet of the god as an offering. Spanish conquistadors soon brought the piñatas practices to Mexico which became very popular because of the similar traditions of the Mayans. The Spanish soon changed the meaning of the piñata to the New World. In the beginning of the sixteenth century Spanish missionaries changed the traditional clay pot ceremonies into religious instruction sessions....