A brief history of
Piñata history dates back over 700 years, to at least the 13th century. There are two equally legitimate theories about the creation of piñatas: The Mongol-ruled Chinese tradition and the Aztec tradition. (Hispanic Chamber Foundation, 2020)
The Chinese
The paper-centric theory of piñatas starts in China in the late 13th and early 14th centuries via the Italian explorer Marco Polo, thanks to the Silk Road. Modern-day piñatas are most often created from paper-mâché - a branch of the proverbial paper tree that grew in China. “Marco Polo is believed to have seen Chinese paper figures of bulls and other animals covered with colored paper and filled with seeds. When struck with a stick, the seeds spilled out. As part of the ritual, the paper creation was then burned and its ashes gathered for good luck. Polo likely brought the idea to Italy, where by the 14th century it was associated with celebration of Lent, and acquired the Italian name pignatta or "fragile pot."“ (George Mason University, 2011)
The Aztecs
The companion theory states that piñatas were an Aztec creation utilized as a means of minor sacrifice to and celebration of the principal god of the Aztecs, who controlled sun and war. (Library of Congress, 2017) "According to experts from the Museo de Artes Populares in Mexico City, clay pots were decorated with feathers and filled with small ornaments to celebrate the birth of the Aztec god, Huītzilōpōchtli. The pot was then broken with a stick and the little treasures spilled at the god’s feet as an offering.” (Selkirk, 2017) “Similarly, the Mayans played a game in which the player’s eyes were covered while hitting a suspended clay pot by a string.” (Souroujon, 2016)
A Spanish Wedding
It’s a short trip from Italy to Spain with the pignatta, where the marriage of these two traditions was presided over by the Catholic church via their colonizing forces: Spanish missionaries heading into what is now known as Mexico. These apostles were met with a homogenous custom, which they utilized (manipulated) to make their Christian ideology more palatable to the Indigenous Aztec people. (Lateenz, 2022) “According to local records, the piñata was first used for the purposes of evangelism in 1586. The Augustinian monks modified European piñatas and created the Las Posadas tradition to co-opt the celebration of the birth of Huītzilōpōchtli.” (Toone, 2021) “Catholic missionaries employed the colorful piñata custom to teach Christian religion. A traditional Mexican shape for piñatas is a spherical shape with seven conical points symbolizing the seven deadly sins—greed, gluttony, sloth, pride, envy, wrath, and lust. Inside the piñata, however, were tempting sweets and treats, representing the pleasures of life. The person wielding the stick of virtue represents faith, which can defeat evil, and the treats represented the hope of reward.” (George Mason University, 2011)
In modernity
Present-day piñatas are no longer associated with any religious affiliation (Catholic Diocese of Cleveland) and, at least in the U.S., the majority of piñatas are being made in China and shipped across the ocean - much like their predecessors. (Lateenz, 2022)
In an article published by the Los Angeles Times in 2005 (18 years ago!), U.S. piñata sales were in the millions, “One party-goods industry expert estimated that about 10 million piñatas are sold annually throughout the country.” (Delson, 2005) By comparison, a December 2021 article stated that Mazatlán sales spiked, “This year merchants who are dedicated to making and selling piñatas are congratulated that the sale soared by up to 80 percent compared to last year.” (Mexico Daily Post, 2021)
Popular piñatas will likely always include beloved children’s characters from TV, movies, music, books, etc. But the adults are having their fun, too. “Trump piñatas first appeared in Mexico following the candidate's scathing remarks about Mexican immigrants during his campaign announcement last summer,” reports Mashable’s Olivia Niland (2016). Lorena Robletto, a Los Angeles Piñata District retailer, sold at least one Trump pinata per day for the months of March and April. “Robletto estimates she's sold hundreds of Trump piñatas since last summer, with a single order recently requesting 150.” (Niland, 2016) And this isn’t an isolated incident: “During the (presidential) campaign I think we sold at least 500 of them, and I guess it’s slowed a little since the election, but they still sell. I mean, whenever he says something stupid again about Mexicans, it picks back up,” said Mike Massel, owner of Dulceria Mexicana in Rogers Park, Chicago. (Borrelli, 2018) Santa Fe, New Mexico saw the same spike in sales for Trump piñatas, with stores struggling to keep them stocked, “Trump pinatas have been hard to keep in stores because of their popularity.” (Lubbock-Avalanche Journal, 2016)
One of the more famous American-made piñatas was created by artist Jennifer Rubell, who crafted a 20ft tall Andy Warhol head for the Brooklyn Museum. (Itzkoff, 2010)
Piñata-centered world records include:
The world’s largest piñatas:
2006. Funded by Microsoft for the launch of a new Xbox 360 game (Viva Piñata), Six Flags Mexico hosted this “14.6 meters tall and 16 meters long (approximately 48 feet by 52 feet)” Horstachio (a character from the game) piñata. It weighed “2 metric tons (4,400 pounds), and took three full weeks to create.” (Banderas News, 2006)
2008. Funded by Carnival Cruise Lines and debuted on November 2nd in Philadelphia, this “61 feet tall (about 6 stories tall), 60 feet long, and 23 feet wide” burro was filled with candy. (World Record Academy, 2008)
2011. Funded by Mars Incorporated to cerebrate the one-year anniversary of the release of pretzel M&Ms, this piñata premiered on August 4th “at the 69th Regiment Armory in New York City.” (Mochan, 2011) The giant orange candy measured at “47 feet high, 69 feet long, and 38 feet wide.” (Frank, 2023)
2023. Funded by Hormel and made by the Masa Collective - a San Antonio-based art collective - the elote piñata measured “20 feet wide, 60 feet long and 100 feet high, a full 40 feet taller than the previous record holder.” (Frank, 2023)
What’s in a name?
Why did I choose “Primal” for the name of my company? What’s primitive about tissue paper and hot glue?
When it came time to choose a name, my partner encouraged me to emphasize the quality of my work, something that indicated “top-tier" or “first and best.” I initially landed on “prime” because, as a singular word, it encapsulates all I was trying to express. But, competing with mega-corporation Amazon isn’t a part of my business plan.
This conversation about names happened the same day that I had returned from a weekend at the beach with my family. While relaxing together, we spent hours making the most elaborate city made of sand - complete with shell cemetery, moat, fields of seaweed, and a traditional sandcastle - and left the structure intact when we turned in for the day. We watched, from the porch of the beach house, while other families stopped and took pictures or climbed around what we’d built. It was exciting to see so many other people enjoy what we had assembled, despite knowing that structures made of sand are, ultimately, made to crumble.
It was this memory, of such intense joy being built into an object that would not - could not - last, that led me from “prime” to “primal.”
“There’s a celebration in the act of creating and there’s a totally different celebration in decimating something without any negative consequences. That’s what I wanted to embody with my piñatas: the primal joy of creation and the primal catharsis of destruction.”
Thus, Primal Piñatas was born.