ipl-logo

Why Is It Important To Break A Piñata?

300 Words2 Pages

One of the most fun filled traditions is that of the breaking of a piñata. A piñata is a decorated container of paper or clay that contains treats such as candies, small toys, fruits, and nuts. The piñata is the focus of a game played at children's birthday parties and at Christmas celebrations. Blindfolded, children take turns trying to break the piñata with a stick to release its contents. This tradition is very popular in Central America and other Latin American countries, including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. This tradition has also spread to the United States.

It is said that Missionaries brought the custom of the piñata to New Spain. In order to honor the Aztec god of war, a decorated, filled pot was broken in the temple at the feet of the god's statue. Catholic missionaries used the piñata custom to teach Christian religion. The Mexican Catholic Church’s interpretation of the piñata rested on the struggle of man against temptation. The traditional Mexican shape for piñatas is a spherical shape with seven conical points. These seven points symbolize the seven deadly sins, which are greed, gluttony, sloth, pride, envy, wrath, and lust. The contents of the piñata represented the pleasures of life. The person wielding the stick of virtue was said to represent faith, which could defeat evil, and the treats represented the hope of reward. …show more content…

Cardboard and paper maches have taken the place of the decidedly more dangerous clay of centuries past. Today, piñatas come in the shape of animals, cars, and cartoon characters. Making piñatas for children's parties is a major industry, especially since the custom continues to spread around the

Show More
Related

  • Las Posadas Research Paper

    344 Words  | 2 Pages

    as posadas is a religious festival that is a key part of Christmas Traditions in Mexico and in some parts of the United States. Las posadas is celebrated from December 16th to the 24th, the nine nights leading up until Christmas. The nine nights represent the nine months that Joseph was in Mary's womb. Posadas may sometimes be confused as a Christmas party, but they are in fact a religious event. Las posadas honor the journey from Nazareth to Bethleham that Mary and Joseph made in search of a place of refuge where baby Jesus could be given birth to by Mary.

    Read More

  • What Does Coatlicue Say About The Statue Of Aztec Art

    798 Words  | 4 Pages

    The statue reveals religious aspects of ancient Aztec society. Source 1 shows that the Aztecs believed in cyclical cosmology and human sacrifice. Human sacrifice was a very important part of Aztec religion as it was believed human sacrifice brought good fortune and nourished the gods. In source 2, The statue has a carving of another god/deity, Tlaltechhtlion on its base. The deity is usually hidden from view which means the Aztecs paid precise attention to every part of their artworks/artefacts even if they were not always visible.

    Read More

  • Why Is Cinco De Mayo Important

    625 Words  | 3 Pages

    It commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican war. Cinco de Mayo has been celebrated across the United States and Mexico, but more in the United States with the traditions of parades, mariachi music performers and street festivals. On the other hand, Cinco de Mayo has come to symbolize a day of cultural pride for people of Mexican descent in the United States and beyond. The Mexican in California are said to be the first to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. It is also believed that they celebrated with other Latin Americans since they all spoke Spanish.

    Read More

  • Mesoamerican Art Analysis

    301 Words  | 2 Pages

    This is one of the civilizations that flourished form the ninth to thirteenth century A.D, and is now home to enormous archeological sites. Among the sites, there is evidence of remains of skulls racks, which once displayed the multiple rows of stone-craved skulls of sacrificial victims (Brandes 1998, 190). However, during the Spanish Conquest, much of the design was removed and completely destroyed by the beginning of the Sixteenth century (Shcmal 2010). During the time of the Spanish Conquest, the Aztec and the Zapotec were the leading power holders of the region of southern Mexico. Because of this, it only makes sense that their usage of elaborate representations of death was then carried over into the artwork of colonial Mexico, becoming, then, associated with Dia de Los Muertos (Brandes 2003,

    Read More

  • Transculturation In Latin America Essay

    1362 Words  | 6 Pages

    Along with Brazil, Mexico has demonstrated a similar phenomenon, amongst the Nahuatl-speaking locals. It is another Virgin Mary figure which was discovered on a sacred Aztec site. The statue is commonly referred to as Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe, pictured below), however the indigenous people call her Tonantzin, after an indigenous goddess of the earth. Asides from religious figurines, there are many buildings in Latin America which are known to be influenced by the colonisation which are religious sites, most often churches. The increase in the number of churches in Latin America is another sign that religion took a large part in changing Latin American society and lifestyle.

    Read More

  • Informative Speech On Mexican Culture

    994 Words  | 4 Pages

    That day we eat tamales and atole. It is a Good time with the family. In November 30 or around December 5 we do some thing that it is call Rasca de reyes. It is a bread that Have a little baby Jesus hidden in the bread represents the flight of the Holy Family,fleeing from King Herod. In my culture , if a person get one they are reponsibility of hosting a dinner and providing tamales and atole to the guests.

    Read More

  • My Mexican Heritage Essay

    577 Words  | 3 Pages

    The celebration is a public event with all kinds of floats,vibrant colors and costumes.with no doubt this celebration is a very incredible and unique mexican holiday another tradition is Semana Santa(the week of Easter).Semana Santa is a celebration of the annual tribute of the Passion of Jesus Christ. The mexicans perform a dance on the streets and pray to god. Semana santa is celebrated on spring break. My favorite tradition to celebrate is El Día de los Muertos (Day of the

    Read More

  • Macaria's Daughter Analysis

    1149 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the altar’s center is “a plaster image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, quarter-life size, its brown Indian face staring down on the woman” (Paredes 23). The implication of the stare is of criticism as the Virgin, symbolic of an ideal Mexican womanhood, looks down on Marcela, whose Anglo features starkly contrast with the Virgin’s, and whose actions are in opposition to the values that she represents. This carefully constructed scene is meaningful. Marcela’s lifeless body lies between the bed and the altar, and opposite to the altar is Marcela’s shrine dedicated to Hollywood movie stars. These are the visual images of the opposing forces that characterize the Mexican-American struggle for resistance against American cultural hegemony.

    Read More

  • Mexican Immigration Struggles

    1313 Words  | 6 Pages

    An original sombrero is like a straw hat. Mexicans brought many of their traditions to the US. El Cinco de Mayo is a very popular one, El Cinco de Mayo is celebrating the victory of the Mexican army winning against the French empire battle, women dress up in beautiful bright colored dresses while the men dress up in suits with a sombrero and dance a traditional dance. Dia de Los Muertos is another tradition, the whole thing is not performed in the United States. Dia de Los Muertos is when people, Mexicans, go to the cemetery and put food or any type of thing that that person liked next to their grave until the food or thing goes raw, to them this means that person has received

    Read More

  • Sugar Skull Symbolism

    985 Words  | 4 Pages

    Life is symbolized by flowers, while death is symbolized by cob webs. Burning candles are also set inside the eyes as a sign of remembrance. Mexican-American history is hard to track back. As a result, it is unclear as to when or how sugar skulls in Western culture. It is believed that the two cultures first started merging after the Spanish conquest in the sixteenth century (tattoo.about.com).

    Read More

  • Dia De Los Muertos Speech

    1134 Words  | 5 Pages

    El Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead), a Mexican celebration, is a day to celebrate, remember and prepare special foods in honor of those who have departed. On this day in Mexico, the streets near the cemeteries are filled with decorations of papel picado, flowers, candy Calaveras, and parades. It is believed that the spirit of the dead visit their families on October 31 leave on November 2. In order to celebrate, the families make altars and place ofrendas of food such as pan de muertos baked in shapes of skulls and figures, candles, incense, yellow marigolds known as cempazuchitl (also spelled zempasuchil) and most importantly a photo of the departed soul are placed on the altar.

    Read More

  • Cuban Family Structure

    719 Words  | 3 Pages

    Necklaces, crucifixes, statues and pictures of saints (estampitas), and stones are given by santeros to protect them from evil and provide well-being. The three favorites saints are La Caridad del Cobre, Santa Barbara, and San Lazaro. The festival La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre is celebrated annually by Cubans, on September

    Read More

  • Primary Sources Of Aztec Human Sacrifice

    1279 Words  | 6 Pages

    Just as the gods of Teotihuacan had to atone for their sins in order to return to their celestial paradise, the sacrifiers wanted to participate in human sacrifice through the victim’s death in order to be granted entrance into heaven. Rituals recorded in the Historia de los Mexicanos por sus pinturas portray the victim as substitute for the sacrifier and symbolize self-sacrifice in order for the sacrifier to expiate, confirming the understanding of Aztec human sacrifice as a religious function. Examination of all three aspects – creation myths, sacrificial victims, and sacrifiers – supports the importance of religion in Aztec

    Read More

  • Being A Mexican Culture Essay

    750 Words  | 3 Pages

    We also have our own traditions, when I go to Mexico in the end of July we go to a celebration which is called Santana all the people

    Read More

  • Summary Of The Virgin Of Guadalupe: A Mexican National Symbolize

    829 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the article “The Virgin of Guadalupe: A Mexican National Symbol” by Eric R. Wolf, the facts are given about the history of the symbol as well as the importance that it plays in the lives of the people of Mexico. This Wolf applies the agnostic approach in his article by the language that he uses. He does not attempt to persuade or dissuade from believing in the Virgin of Guadalupe. Wolf starts out by explaining that the terms he uses do no represent the Mexican people as a whole, “In this paper, I should like to discuss this [Virgin of Guadalupe] Mexican master symbol, and the ideology which surrounds it. In making use of the term ‘master symbol,’ I do not wish to imply that belief in the symbol is common to all Mexicans” (Wolf 2).

    Read More

More about Why Is It Important To Break A Piñata?

Open Document