Although piñatas are nowadays thought of as a fun activity for parties, they have a long, rich history. There is some debate but it appears that their origin is not Spanish but Chinese. The Chinese version was in the shape of a cow or ox and used for the New Year. It was decorated with symbols and colors meant to produce a favorable climate for the coming growing season. It was filled with five types of seeds and then hit with sticks of various colors. After the piñata was broken, the remains were burned and the ashes kept for good luck.The tradition arrived in Europe in the 14th century where it was associated with the Christian celebration of Lent; in Spain, the first Sunday of Lent, “Piñata Sunday”, became a celebration known as the Dance of the Piñata. As the word’s Italian origin indicates, pignatta meaning “earthenware cooking pot”, the Spanish initially used a plain clay container, before starting to decorate it with ribbons, tinsel, and colored paper. The origin of the Italian word is thought to be linked to the Latin word pinea, “pine cone. (Source: Wikipedia)
Piece of Cake
Pinatas are not part of Greece’s heritage but are extremely popular on birthday parties. My daughter had one on her party wish list too and that is why I contacted my friends at We Love Pinatas. It was very hard to choose from the examples that were sent us to us. Basically, anything, any theme or character is possible. We finally decided to stick with the birthday theme and We Love Pinatas created a wonderful piece birthday cake for my child full of color and shiny detail. The pinata was delivered and wrapped up for easy transport and accompanied by a wooden stick beautifully decorated and instructions on how to play the pinata game.
The pinata may have been the best part of my daughter’s birthday celebration. The anticipation and the hidden candy inside were a large part of the fun, reaching its highlight when the kids got to smash up the unlucky handmade beauty. Be careful when a bunch of little ones swing the wooden stick around!
If you are in Greece and you are looking for an original handmade pinata for a birthday, Christmas, Easter Halloween or any other kind of party, check out the We Love Pinatas page (in Greek). The design can by anything; from watermelons to Christmas trees or your kids’ favorite superhero and prices start at 32 Euro. Thank you Let’s blog…party page and Anthomeli!
Celeste is a Dutch Italian mom of two daughters. She was born & raised in The Netherlands, but lives in Athens, Greece for 25+ years. Celeste studied Culture and holds a Tourism degree. Whether you and your family live in Greece or are visiting, this blog will show you the very best ways in which to celebrate family life here.
2 Comments
The best part of your party celebration? So happy to read this! Thank you very much for this post!
It was a great Pinata, look forward to seeing more!