In the inns of the December season, in addition to the punch, the tamales and the Christmas bonus, one of the classics are the piñatas that children and adults beat blindfolded while waiting to obtain the sweets or fruits they carry inside.
Las traditional piñatas to break into the inns are those of seven peaksbecause these have a special meaning for the Christmas festivities and here we will tell you what it is.
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What are the beaks of piñatas related to?
The seven-pointed piñatas are related to the religious interpretation of the seven deadly sins that must be destroyed, turning the activity of breaking it into a whole ritual full of symbolism for the faithful.
The seven deadly sins arose in the 4th centurywhen the ascetic Evagrius Ponticus enumerated eight sinful human passions and later, in the 6th century, the Pope Gregory the Great He determined that there would only be seven.
Since their emergence, the seven deadly sins have been source of inspiration for universal literature that has explored with them the darkest and most fascinating side of the human condition.
What are the deadly sins?
Los seven deadly sins son:
- Pride: Excess pride that goes over others.
- Avarice: Desire to possess luxurious goods.
- Lust: Excessive desire for sexual pleasure.
- Ira: Uncontrolled fury that causes damage.
- Sugar: Excess eating due to craving and not hunger.
- Envy: Resentment for the achievements of others.
- Laziness: Lack of effort in the tasks to be performed.
The deadly sins are considered the source of many other sins for the Catholic religion.
What does the tradition of breaking piñatas at posadas mean?
The symbolism of breaking a seven-peaked piñata in the posadas corresponds to the fact that, with each peak that falls, one of the seven deadly sins is destroyed so it can no longer influence the faithful.
Blindfold To those who hit the piñata it means the harvested faith of the faithful to overcome sins, while the stick to break it represents the strength, courage and virtue to overcome evil.
The piñata hanging from a rope that swings from one side to the other represents the fight against the temptation that sins bring to the lives of the faithful and, finally, the sweets and fruit that fall when broken are the representation of the reward of resisting temptation and adversity.
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The piñatas today
The piñata used in traditional inns did not have any filling in it. modern sweetsthe jicamas, canes, tejocotes, limes and snacks were what fell to the ground when it was time to break it.
Currently, few people know the meaning of this type of piñatas and prefer the ones from fashion characters or figures alluding to Christmas such as snowmen, Santa Claus, reindeer, snowflakes, among others; however, the traditional piñata It not only covers the excitement of revealing its content, but also the satisfaction, by breaking it, of defeating the sins that lie in wait.