Where did the piñata come from?
A route from China through Italy and Spain is often told. Shall we take a look?A widely told story says the piñata travelled from China through Italy and Spain to Mexico. But some sources say it began in Italy, and others see an older clay-pot game in Mexico as its root, so accounts differ. It is hard to say it was born in just one country.
A container you break for sweets
A piñata is a paper or clay container that people hit with a stick while blindfolded, and when it breaks, sweets fall out. As to where it began, a route from China through Italy and Spain to Mexico is often told, but the explanations differ depending on the source.
China or Italy? Accounts differ
A bulletin published by a Mexican consulate, part of Mexico's foreign ministry, introduces the view that the custom was used in China for New Year celebrations. It also says Marco Polo is believed to have brought it to Italy. A history website from a US university likewise describes a Chinese game of hitting paper animal figures filled with seeds. Some materials, however, such as the Kansas Historical Society's, say it began in Italy in the early 1500s.
The name comes from Italian
In Italy, there was a game of hitting a hanging clay pot with a stick while blindfolded, and the pot was called a "pignatta." This word is said to be the origin of the Spanish word "piñata." In Spain, the first Sunday of Lent, the period before Easter in the Christian calendar, is described as "Piñata Sunday," when pots were broken.
How it reached Mexico
It is said that there is no clear record of when the piñata reached Mexico. Still, the Mexican consulate's bulletin says that in 1586, friars in Acolman (in today's State of Mexico) introduced the piñata during Masses held before Christmas. These Masses later became the pre-Christmas event called the "posada." On the other hand, some historians believe it comes from a game in which the Aztecs and Maya broke a hanging clay pot while blindfolded.
The meaning of the seven points
A star-shaped piñata with seven points is often explained this way: the points stand for the "seven deadly sins," and breaking it means overcoming them. This is a widely told explanation, not a rule that applies to every piñata.
Want to know more?
- According to the Kansas Historical Society, the Spanish word "piñata" referred to the game of breaking the pot itself, not to the clay pot.
- The same material says that in Tuscany, Italy, there is a custom of hanging three piñatas with different contents, such as ashes, water and sweets.
Quick quiz: test yourself
Where is the piñata said to have come from?
Show the answer
- China, via Europe
- Brazil, to the world
- India, via the Middle East
China, via Europe A widely told story says it travelled from China through Italy and Spain to Mexico, though accounts differ.
A widely told story says it travelled from China through Italy and Spain to Mexico, though accounts differ.
Next quiz ›Sources
- Las piñatas: Símbolo cultural mexicano (Boletín Cultural, noviembre-diciembre 2012)Consulado de México en Fráncfort（メキシコ外務省）
- PiñataKansas Historical Society（Kansapedia）
- Piñata [Object]Children and Youth in History, Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media, George Mason University
This article was written after checking the sources above as of 2026-10-03. Explanations may change as research progresses. Photo credits are shown below each photo.
