pinatas

The heroes of any Mexican birthday celebration, piñatas are originally from China. Bet you didn’t know that. For local new year celebrations, the Chinese would make figures of animals like cows and buffaloes, covered with coloured paper and ribbon, that were meant to produce good weather for the growing season ahead. A more sombre affair than the sugar-fuelled spectacle we enjoy today, these farmyard friends were filled with different seeds, and when they were eventually busted, the remains were burnt and the ashes kept for good luck.

Full of Crap The long and surprising history of the piñata.

It wasn’t until the 14th century that Marco Polo brought the ritual back to Italy, and it spread to Spain, where it was tweaked