Most people think of piñatas today as a fun activity for parties. Children love them. The history of the piñata is fascinating and reveals many interesting facts about piñatas that go beyond the playing of a game, though piñatas certainly have always been intended for fun.

The first piñatas were used in Italy, which may come as a surprise to some. The Italian word pignatta means "fragile pot." Originally, all piñatas were made of clay pots (usually in the shape of a pineapple in Italy), but today, many are made of paper-maché.

The custom moved to Spain and was originally part of the celebrations for Lent. The Spanish called the game piñata. The actual clay container was called an olla, the Spanish word for pot. At first, it was not decorated. Later, people began to put paper figures around it.

When Spanish missionaries took piñatas to Mexico, the Aztecs readily accepted them because they had a custom which was very similar. To celebrate the birthday of the Aztec god of war, custom required that the priests place a clay pot on a pole in the temple at year's end and fill it with tiny treasures. The pot was richly decorated with colorful feathers. It was broken with a stick or club, and the treasures that fell to the feet of the god's image were said to be an offering.

Of course, the religious significance of the piñatas for the Spanish was quite different. The piñata represented Satan. It was made beautiful and bright to get the attention of the innocent person who came into contact with it. Candies and fruits inside represented the temptations of the Devil. The person trying to break the piñata was blindfolded as a representation of blind faith. The stick for breaking the piñata was a symbol of goodness, as only good can overcome evil. Once broken, the candies and fruits then represented a just reward. The moral of the story: all are justified through faith.

Today, many people are unaware of the original significance of the piñata and participate in the game solely for fun. Piñatas are especially popular during Las Posadas (to ring in the Christmas season) and at birthday parties.

Piñatas can be found in all shapes and sizes. Many represent cartoon or other characters known to most children. Others are shaped like fruits, baskets, rockets, etc. One's imagination is the limit. One classic shape is the star, and it is very symbolic. When five-pointed, the obvious reference is the pentagram (again, a symbol of the Devil which must be defeated, or broken). Otherwise, it can be thought of as the star the Wise Men followed to find Baby Jesus. Star piñatas are especially popular at Christmas for these very reasons.

Traditionally, piñatas are filled with both candies and fruits. Around Christmas in Mexico, they are often filled with wrapped candies, peanuts, guavas, oranges, jicamas, sugar cane, and tejocotes (a kind of crab apple found in Mexico). Should any child be found without a treat after all the goodies are gathered from the ground, little baskets full of a special candy called colación are kept on hand to avoid hurt feelings and tears. These are passed around to everyone before the party is over.

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