Piñata
A decorated papier-mache figure filled with sweets and broken at celebrations.
Also: pinyata
A pinata is a container of papier-mache or clay, covered in tissue paper and filled with sweets, fruit and small toys, that children take turns to hit with a stick while blindfolded until it breaks and the contents fall. In Mexico it has a traditional star shape with seven points, said to represent the seven deadly sins, and is part of Las Posadas and birthday parties. The custom came to the Americas from Europe, and is possibly related to older Chinese practices, and it has since spread worldwide, in shapes from donkeys to cartoon characters. A song is sung as the children swing.
Region: Latin America and the Caribbean