In Mexico, piñatas are a Christmas essential full of history, art and treats

From her store in eastern Mexico City, Tania Hernandez will begin making holiday season pinatas as early as October.

That’s because pinatas are essential for celebrating Christmas in Mexico. Specifically, it is a traditional one in the shape of a 7-point star.

Reasons to go back many years, and the continent.

Posadas tradition

Hernandez says the pinatas she likes to make are traditional.

These colorful figures Posadas – This is the equivalent of an inn – An annual tradition that lasts from 16th to 24th December, backed by music, food and pinatas for children.in the meantime Posadas, Family, friends, and neighbors stop by each other at night and seek shelter to show that Mary and Joseph have traveled to Bethlehem prior to the birth of Jesus.

Walther Boelsterly, director of the Popular Art Museum in Mexico City, says there is no document about the origin of the pinatas, but oral history has some understanding of where the pinatas came from.

“What is being said is that pinatas are of eastern origin and are basically Chinese,” he says. “They used a mud jar for sowing, and it broke at the best moment of sowing to get the good luck of the harvest.”

Marco Polo brought the idea to Europe, and when Spanish missionaries arrived in Mexico, they used pinatas for service before Christmas, says Bolsterley. It was about the same time that the Aztecs of Mexico celebrated one of their gods.

“So, from December 16th Posadas From the beginning, virtually Christmas, until the 24th, people use pinatas to decorate their decks Posadas Have fun, “says Boelsterly.

The shape of the pinatas used in these festivals is important.

In the seven deadly sins, each pointed cone represents one of the deadly sins of pride, jealousy, desire, greed, anger, greed, and laziness.

And the act of destroying a pinata also makes sense.

“To be able to accept Jesus in a more purified state, it is to defeat the deadly sins,” says Boelsterly.

He then adds that all the treats that come out when a pinata breaks reflect generosity.

From Posadas to everyday life

Eventually, the tradition of using only pinatas during the Christmas season began to collapse. They were made in a new carrot-like shape with a mud jar on top and used for birthday celebrations and bachelor parties.

“One of my friends was divorced, and he had a very good relationship with his ex-wife,” says Boelsterly. “So they made a party for divorce and made a way to break the compromise. [of marriage] I was breaking a pinata. “

Traditional mud vases that shatter everywhere when broken are often replaced by cardboard, and as cartoons and television shows grow in popularity, pinata makers turn those characters into products to appeal to children. I started using it.

Now Tania Hernandez talks enthusiastically about her work and is grateful that she learned the skills from her father-in-law.

However, as popularity and demand increased, some artists who created pinatas found themselves tied up, like Yesenia Prieto, the third-generation pinata maker in Los Angeles.

“The name of the game is,’We’re not paying much for what we’re making, so make things as soon as possible,” says Prieto. “So, produce, produce, produce, produce, produce.”

That’s what she learned many years ago when she saw her family wrestling with their business.

“three [would] It will be a team of about 4 people working on one piece. It took about two hours to build, and in return I got only about $ 10, “she says. one day. “

She was aware of the art in their work and wanted others to do it.

Prieto currently owns a custom shop, Piñata Design Studio. She uses sequins and wood in addition to materials such as cardboard, tissue paper and homemade glue for larger installations. Her pinatas average about $ 125 and start at $ 50.

She says that the artistry of pinatas tends to be unappreciated because their purpose is to be destroyed, and she wants to change this.

The basis of her business is to pay time and attention to the production process, and Prieto wants to slow down so that people can understand the value of the product.

“Pinatas provide not only what you see, but also experiences,” she says. “It’s temporary, but it’s all. Just because it’s short-lived doesn’t mean it’s worthless.”

Recognize artistry and history

There are some efforts to recognize the artistic value of pinatas.

The popular museum directed by Walther Boelsterly in Mexico has held a pinata contest for 15 years as a way to celebrate the traditions and talents involved in the process.

Participants must compete for prizes using traditional materials such as mud jars and tissue paper for decoration.

In LA, Prieto also recently participated in an exhibition hosted by the non-profit organization Craft in America.the title is Pinata: Celebration High Art And I ran from September to December 4th.

“One of our goals was to emphasize this as a form of living craft,” said Emily Zaiden, director and curator of Craft in America. “It’s one of the few things people experience in this era. Making something like a pinata a part of people’s celebrations and memories, and making it a handmade piece is really special.”

Olivia Sanchez contributed to this report from Mexico.

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