The Spanish word piñata probably derives from the Italian pignatta 'fragile pot,' itself from pigna lit. 'pinecone.' It may also come from Spanish piña lit. 'pinecone.' See more

Although today, piñatas are typically used for a fun activity at parties, their origins lie in other customs. There is some debate but it appears that their origin is not Spanish but Chinese. The Chinese version was in the shape of a … See more

The piñata is most strongly identified with Mexico. The art of making modern piñatas falls under the Mexican craft heading of "cartonería", which refers to the making of items from paper and cardboard. This puts piñatas in t… See more

Piñatas have also become popular in Mexican-American and other Hispanic and Latino communities in the United States, as well as non-Hispanic populations. They are used for birthday parties, Christmas and Cinco de M… See more