First of all, welcome.

I wanna introduces y'all to something near and dear to my family. A tradition that brings joy and laughter, wonder and a sense of fraternity to the world... Piñatas!!

Second of all, what the heck are they?

Piñatas are decorative containers filled with items, that are hung from an elevated point, and either hit with a stick, or pre-attached strings are pulled to release the content inside.

Originally, piñatas were decorative clay pots filled with fruits. This was eventually deemed dangerous.

We once bought a Minnie Mouse piñata in Miami and found out the hard way that it had a clay pot inside. Let's just say... we had to apologise to a few parents.

These days, piñatas are made from cardboard, paper-mache, tissue paper, plastic, styrofoam, and other lightweight materials. And, you can find them in every corner of the Americas.

Unfortunately, piñatas do not exist all over the world. But, they are spreading thanks to movies, the internet, and people from the Americas moving overseas.

Piñatas interestingly enough started off in China. They were adopted by the Italians, named pignattas, and then brought to the Americas by the Spanish, and combined with an existing Mayan piñata-like tradition by Franciscan monks in Mexico.

Apparently, the 7 pointed piñata (star) has roots in Catholicism. Each point is a sin. And the candy/fruit inside is temptation. Kids were spun 33 times to signify each year that Jesus lived. When the piñata was broken and the candy fell out, it became the reward for living a righteous life.

No longer tied to religion, though still used in religious occasions, piñatas come in every style and shape imaginable.

From SpongeBob and Spider-Man, to bright pink penises for bachelorette parties.

From being filled with candy and toys, to being filled with condoms and small packets of lubricant.

Nowadays the only limitation on piñatas is the human imagination.

That and Customs and Boarder Patrol.

LOL, piñatas ordered from outside of the USA, tend to get special attention since they've been a common vehicle for the transportation of drugs.

So... What are important things to know about piñatas?

(The following points will be organized in the future)

1) at the top of a piñata you need a hook or a loop made of wire, plastic, or rope. This will attach the piñata to rope from which it will hang

2) there should be an opening to put candy. Not too big and not too small, it should be hidden, yet easy to access, and has to be in an elevated part of the piñata so the candy doesn't fall out ahead of time.

My mom gets on my case about this.

You forget one time to add the opening before the colorful tissue paper... And she NEVER lets you forget. She's a real backseat piñata-maker.

Always questioning everything I do and giving my piñatas this look that says she doesn't believe what I'm doing will work.

BTW, I solved that dilemma easily---Take that Mom!

Anyway, I learned everything from her. Color, balance, technique, and pride in one's work.

I just need her to give me some room and trust. Buuuut, she CAN continue to post pictures of my creations on FB and bragging about them.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

3) if the piñata is a "pull-string" (commonly used for children too small to swing a bat) the "strings" must be attached at the bottom of the piñata.

In this case, since one is pulling down on the piñata, the hook must be firmly attached so the whole piñata won't be ripped down, and the underbelly on the piñata must be strong enough to hold candy, but delicate enough rip when pulled.

Some places, like Cuba, are more likely to use pull-string altogether.

4) we've hung piñatas from trees, posts, 2nd floors, beams, between two men on ladders, two men on pick-up trucks, a tree trunk and my tall brother-in-law. Whichever way you do it, make sure it's sturdy and safe.

Personally, I prefer when there's someone holding the rope to the piñata. That way it can be moved up and down to make it hard for the kids hitting the piñata.

To taunt them.

Especially, if they are wearing a blindfold.

Ironically, for my niece's 1st birthday, my mother had a special metal pole with an extend arm installed in our backyard.... It was only used that once.

It rained on her 2nd birthday, which meant the piñata had to be broken indoors and all the rest of her birthdays were celebrated elsewhere.

5) the stick to hit the piñata is usually the thickness of a broomstick and the length of a baseball bat. Many times it is a broomstick cut down to size and decorated.

6) not everyone uses blindfolds, but I do. I like to put them on the kids old enough to do damage to the piñata. If you do this, make sure to keep everyone else at a safe distance. Warn and hold back the other kids so they don't go running in if one candy falls down. No one is allowed to run in until an adult either takes back the stick, or the kid drops the stick.

7) make sure to tell the kids to hold the stick firmly. You don't want that thing flying out. Give a set number of hits each kid gets. And tell them that if someone yells "stop!" they must immediately stop.

8) I suggest not putting chocolate and other delicate or melt-y things in the piñata. Those can go in the goody bags. Hard candy is best. It won't melt in a hot summer day, and it won't squish when stepped on.

9) Something I frequently do is sprinkle candy over the kids as the pick up candy. That way all the kids get candy. And, that way the piñata isn't too heavy.

10) break a piñata over cement or clear surface. If this isn't possible, use a blanket or table cloth. It'll keep the kids and the candy/toys clean.

11) line up the kids by height or age. Babies go first with the help of parents. We take pictures of each kid next to the piñata at this point.

12) make sure to take a group picture and a picture of the birthday kid with the piñata

13) when the kids are lined up, hand out the candy bags.

14) if the piñata doesn't break after all the kids have gone through, decided whether you'll let them all do it again, or whether you'll let the birthday kid break it with no blindfold, no spinning.

15) if you're gonna spin kids, don't spin them too-too much. You don't want them to get sick. Secondly, be careful. They will be disoriented. They might go off in the wrong direction and hit someone.

Make sure everyone is at a safe distance. And make sure they know to stop when you tell them to.

16) when the kids are hitting the piñata, it is common to move the piñata up and down, sometimes bumping the kid. It is also common to yell directions to the kid that are incorrect. Things that'll confuse them.

Examples:

"It's above you"

"To your left"

"It's on the floor"

"Behind you!!"

17) piñata is usually done before the cake. Which if you think about it... it's a good idea. You don't wanna spin a kid full of sugar.

18) don't over fill the piñata. The weight can damage the bottom of you piñata. Crush the feet of you piggy or dinosaur.

It can make the piñata separate from its hook, or have the loop rip through the cardboard causing the piñata to fly off the rope it's hanging on and possibly hit someone.

19) be prepared for a piñata to fall off the rope but not break. *Shrugs* it happens. If it does, you'll have to tie the rope around the piñata somehow or decide to just rip it open and let the candy fall.

20) when the piñata does break, make sure to rip the opening bigger and shake it so all the stuff comes out.

21) with "pull-string" piñatas make sure there is enough string for all the kids and that the string is pretty long so it can reach by all the children

22) make sure all the kids know not to pull until they are told to. And be ready for that one kid that's gonna try to pull early

Example:

"Pull!!"

"1-2-3-pull"

"Ready - set - go!!!"

23) watch out for the little kids. Big kids are gonna try to take their candy. And watch out for greedy parents jumping in. The only parents grabbing candy should be the ones helping the babies or kids with disabilities.

24) I recommend using a permanent marker to write everyone's names on their bags

25) other options instead of plastic bags for the candy/toys are bucket, cups, baskets, paper bags

26) have the kid hold the stick with 2 hands. Personally, I prefer to spin them by turning the stick (kinda like you're stirring coffee, not like you're turning a screwdriver, if that makes sense), instead of putting my hands on the kids. Especially if it's a pool party and they're in swimsuits.

27) for piñata enthusiast.... It's a year round fascination. There's always a reason for a piñata.

And you never get too old for a piñata.

29) Donald Trump said he'd be good for the economy..... he just didn't realize he'd be helping piñata makers North and South of the border.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

30) there are a few different types of piñatas and if the coming days I will try to explain the differences.

31) "pull-string" piñatas use fabric ribbon or plastic ribbon not string.

32) when making piñatas... Don't use cheap tape or glue.... It won't stick well or last long and you'll end up having to use more of it to compensate. This particularly matters if you're gonna make the piñata waaay ahead of time.

33) watch the video up top. Piñata construction is actually super easy. Its about deconstructing things to  a their most basic shapes and then covering it. What makes all the difference is the love and patience you put in.

Personally, going back to the piñata the woman makes in the video... I would have added tape on the inside and I would have wrapped the tape around the piñata in a few places for stability.

And I would have put tape where the holes would be, and then punch the holes so there was no possibility of the cardboard ripping and sending the piñata flying. Also, I prefer using something stronger than one thing nylon ribbon.

Actually, if done right, a pull-string piñata can be used over and over again. I've even heard of people making the outside out of wood, with a false bottom.

I even sold a used pull-string Dora the Explorer piñata at a yard sale. LOL, my mom thought I was crazy. But when regular size piñatas cost $14-20 at a store... Finding one missing the bottom for $1 ... That's a great deal.

Anyway, sorry for the mess of information. I just wanted to get it all out. I'll go through and organize it in the future. And I'll add anymore info as I remember.

It looks like a lot of info, but most of it is pretty common sense.

All the images on this first page are things I found on Google. I suggest googling "piñata", it's amazing the things people come up with.

In the following chapters, you'll be seeing piñatas I've made and occasionally piñatas we've had throughout the years.

-- Mónica