Knowra Piñata Piñata A decorated container filled with sweets or small gifts, broken during a celebration so its contents spill out. Piñatas are commonly made from papier-mâché or cardboard.
Birthday party : A gathering that celebrates the anniversary of a person's birth. A piñata is often filled with treats for a birthday party activity.
Papier-mâché : A material made by layering paper with adhesive, then shaping it as it dries. Many piñatas are built from papier-mâché over a mold or frame.
China : A country in East Asia with a long and varied history. Decorated figures broken at spring celebrations are recorded in China before the European piñata tradition.
Mexican culture : The diverse traditions, practices, arts, and institutions of Mexico and its communities. The piñata became a recognizable feature of celebrations in Mexico, with forms shaped by local traditions.
Las Posadas : A Mexican Christmas-season observance reenacting Mary and Joseph's search for lodging. Piñatas are a familiar part of Las Posadas celebrations in Mexico.
Cardboard : A thick, stiff paper material formed in sheets or layered structures. Cardboard provides a lightweight structure for many modern piñatas.
Marco Polo : A Venetian merchant whose account described travels across Asia in the thirteenth century. A popular historical account connects his travels with the transfer of Chinese figure-breaking customs to Europe.
Seven deadly sins : A traditional Christian classification of seven vices: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. A common account of the star-shaped Mexican piñata interprets its seven points as these sins.
Blindfold : A covering that prevents someone from seeing. Blindfolded participants commonly take turns trying to break a piñata.
Paste : A thick adhesive mixture used to join or coat materials. Paste binds paper layers during papier-mâché piñata construction.
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