**Although they may wish it, this blog is not an official publication of COMEXUS or the U.S. Department of Education.**
Hi!
Uh, do you remember me? In case you forgot during my excessive absence, I'm Bethany, and if I had to describe myself in one word it would be "absurdly, embarrassingly, and consistently tardy."
Anyway!
The piñata! It's every sociopathic child's dream-- hitting something so hard with a stick that candy comes out of it.
Although it's nearly incontheivable that anyone would be unaware of what a piñata is, let me briefly explain. A piñata is a hollow sphere (usually made with papier maché) that is decorated, filled with candy, and then beaten to a pulp. Sounds like fun to me! Uh oh, I'm a sociopathic child
Piñatas are not very common in the United States. If they are deployed as Instruments of Sadistic Fun, then it is usually at children's birthday parties. For that reason I was surprised to find that here in Mexico, piñatas are actually a traditional symbol of Christmas. Deck the Halls with WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK
The traditional piñata has seven points, each of them representing-- get this-- the Seven Deadly Sins.
Sorry, I'm on a GIF-making kick
There is therefore a deep symbolism embedded in the destruction of the piñata-- you are crushing your sins. When you smash the piñata open and candy comes out, you are reaping the reward of fighting your sinful nature.
Anyway, although it's short, that's the meaning of the piñata. There is also a traditional piñata-beating song that everyone sings when you're taking furious whacks at the papier maché treasure trove. It goes like this:
"Dale dale dale, no pierdas el tino,
Porque si lo pierdes, pierdes el camino
Ya le diste uno, ya le diste dos,
Ya le diste tres y tu tiempo se acabó!"
The translation is something like this:
"Go go go, don't lose your aim!
Because if you lose the stick you lose your way!
You hit it once! You hit it twice!
You hit it three times, and now your turn is over!"
(Sounds better in Spanish.)
There is therefore a deep symbolism embedded in the destruction of the piñata-- you are crushing your sins. When you smash the piñata open and candy comes out, you are reaping the reward of fighting your sinful nature.
Anyway, although it's short, that's the meaning of the piñata. There is also a traditional piñata-beating song that everyone sings when you're taking furious whacks at the papier maché treasure trove. It goes like this:
"Dale dale dale, no pierdas el tino,
Porque si lo pierdes, pierdes el camino
Ya le diste uno, ya le diste dos,
Ya le diste tres y tu tiempo se acabó!"
The translation is something like this:
"Go go go, don't lose your aim!
Because if you lose the stick you lose your way!
You hit it once! You hit it twice!
You hit it three times, and now your turn is over!"
(Sounds better in Spanish.)
