Editing Piñata (section)

==In Mexico==
[[File:Pinata2013MAP01.JPG|thumb|250px|A coral reef piñata which won the 2013 contest of the [[Museo de Arte Popular]] in Mexico City]]
The piñata is most strongly identified with Mexico.<ref name="unahistoria"/>  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 the same category as [[amate]] paper craft, [[Burning of Judas|Judas figures]] and Mexico City style [[alebrije]]s.<ref name="popularte">{{cite web |url=http://www.uv.mx/popularte/esp/scriptphp.php?sid=52 |title=Papel y Cartonería |author=José Herrera |publisher=Universidad Veracruzana |location=Veracruz, Mexico |language=es |trans-title=Paper and Cartonería (paper crafts) |access-date=June 15, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324090704/http://www.uv.mx/popularte/esp/scriptphp.php?sid=52 |archive-date=March 24, 2012 }}</ref> The [[Museo de Arte Popular, Mexico City|Museo de Arte Popular]] held the first "Concurso de Piñatas Mexicanas" (Mexican Piñata Contest) in 2007 with prizes of 15,000, 10,000 and 5,000 pesos. The purpose of the contest is to help retain this tradition and help it to be continued to be valued.<ref name="primer"/> The [[Museo del Caracol]] in [[Mexico City]] held a workshop on how to make traditional piñatas, as part of its outreach program to the public.<ref name="inah"/>

While the religious significance has been mostly lost, the ceremony that occurs with it has remained mostly intact. Piñatas remain most popular during [[Las Posadas]] with [[birthday parties]] coming in second. Each participant, usually a child, will have a turn at hitting the piñata, which is hung from above on a [[Twine|string]]. The participant is [[blindfold]]ed, given a wooden stick, and then spun a number of times. As the participants works to hit the piñata, another moves it to make it harder to hit. There is a time limit to any one person's attempts, which is marked out by the singing of a traditional song, "Dale, dale, dale, no pierdas el tino".<ref name="mexconnect"/><ref name="unahistoria"/>
[[File:Ollas piñateras.JPG|thumb|Clay pots specially made for the creation of piñatas]]
Piñatas were traditionally made with a clay pot base and many artisans make a living selling just the pot for people to decorate as they wish. However, clay pot piñatas have mostly been replaced by those made with cardboard and [[papier-mâché]], usually fashioned over balloons.<ref name="mexconnect"/> One reason for this is that broken pot pieces can be dangerous to children.<ref name="golpea">{{cite news |title= Golpea crisis a las piñatas |author=Minerva Flores |newspaper=Mural |location=Guadalajara, Mexico |date=December 15, 2009 |page=6 |language=es |trans-title=Crisis strikes piñatas }}</ref> These are then decorated with crepe paper, other colored paper and other items.<ref name="unahistoria"/>  Piñatas today come in all shapes and sizes, with many representing cartoon or other characters known to most children. Popular shapes today can include [[Batman]], [[Superman]], [[Spider-Man]], or characters based on popular movies and television shows such as [[Finding Nemo|Nemo]], [[the Lion King]], and more. For Christmas, the traditional style with the points is popular as it is associated with the [[Star of Bethlehem]].<ref name="mexconnect"/><ref name="unahistoria"/>  However, for the most part, piñata designs have been completely commercialized.<ref name="unahistoria"/>

[[File:Courtyard Palacio Gobierno Christmas 07.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Courtyard of the [[Government Palace of Chihuahua]] decorated for Christmas.]]
Traditionally in Mexico, especially at Christmas, piñatas are filled with fruit and candies such as [[guava]]s, oranges, [[jicama]]s, pieces of sugar cane, [[tejocote]]s and wrapped candies. Some piñatas are "traps" filled with flour, [[confetti]] or water. Special baskets of treats may be given to children who come up empty handed after a piñata is broken. These are called colaciónes and are given to prevent hurt feelings.<ref name="mexconnect"/>

There are a number of localities in Mexico that specialize in the making of piñatas for sale. [[Acolman]], the origin of piñatas, along with neighboring [[Otumba de Gómez Farías|Otumba]] are one.<ref name="nicaragua"/> Acolman hosts an annual National Piñata Fair. This event includes cultural events, workshops on the making of piñatas, piñata contests and traditional Posadas. The event has attracted as many as 100,000 visitors over the days that it is held, many of whom come from Mexico City.<ref name="feria"/>

About 400 families in the town of San Juan de la Puerta, in the south of the [[Cuerámaro]] municipality in [[Guanajuato]], are dedicated to the creation of piñatas, and produce about 16,000 pieces each month. The making of piñatas supports about half of the people in the town. It is the second most important economic activity after agriculture. This tradition began in 1960 by Juan Remigio Anguiano, who brought the craft to the town after living in Mexico City. Today, piñatas from the town are sold in various parts of the state.<ref name="sostienen">{{cite news |title= Sostienen piñatas su economía |newspaper=Mural |location=Guadalajara, Mexico |date=December 21, 2010 |page=12 |language=es |trans-title=Piñatas support their economy }}</ref>

In the penal facility of [[Huajuapan de León]], prisoners make piñatas to sell. This began when several prisoners brought the craft with them when they were incarcerated about twenty years ago. These piñatas have become traditional for the population of the city for Christmas.<ref name="divertida"/>

The busiest time for the sale of piñatas in Mexico is December for posadas. During bad economic times, sales of piñatas can fall as much as thirty percent as they did in 2008.<ref name="golpea"/>
[[File:Piñatas tabasqueñas.jpg|thumb|Store in [[Tabasco]] selling both traditional star-shape and contemporary design piñatas.]]
The star shape, or ball with points, still remains popular for the Christmas season, but for other events, traditional designs such as donkeys have almost entirely been{{citation needed|date=September 2021}} replaced by cartoon characters based on U.S. movies and television shows.<ref name="Hollywood">{{cite news |title= Even pinatas sold in Mexico seem to originate in Hollywood now |author= Paul Beckett |newspaper=Wall Street Journal |location=New York |date=September 11, 1996 |page=1 }}</ref> However, most of the piñatas produced based on these images are not following copyright law,{{citation needed|date=September 2021}} which has caused problems. Copyright holders such as [[Marvel Comics]] have complained about infringement by piñata makers in Mexico. Federal authorities have responded by seizing such merchandise in stores in various areas of Mexico City. Vendors complain that they have sold these piñatas for decades and never have had problems.<ref name="pegan">{{cite news |title= Pegan policías a piñatas pirata de superhéroes |author=Antonio Nieto |newspaper=Reforma |location=Mexico City |date=March 20, 2010 |page=7 |language=es |trans-title=Police strike pirated versions of superhero piñatas}}</ref> Those who have run into problems with copyright law state that it is difficult to sell other types as most customers prefer to buy those based on popular characters.<ref name="nopierden">{{cite news |title= No pierden el camino |author=Marylú Vallejo |newspaper=Mural |location=Guadalajara, Mexico |date=December 10, 2010 |page=6 |language=es |trans-title=Don´t lose the path }}</ref> Mexico exports piñatas to the United States and other parts of the world, but copyright has been an issue there as well.<ref name="nopierden"/><ref name="decomisan">{{cite news |title= Decomisan en Laredo piñatas ..¡piratas! |author=Marcha Cázares |newspaper=Reforma |location=Mexico City |date=June 24, 2010 |page=16 |language=es |trans-title=Piñatas confiscated from markets in Laredo, for copyright! }}</ref> Piñatas based on [[Disney]] and other characters have been seized at the border for violating U.S. copyright law.<ref name="decomisan"/><ref name="cbp">{{Cite report |title= CBP Officers Seize Fake Disney Pinatas at Douglas Port of Entry |author=Department of Homeland Security Documents / FIND.  |year=2010 |publisher=US Government }}</ref> Some have also been seized and destroyed by customs agents under suspect of hiding drugs.<ref name="empresa">{{cite news |title= Empresa de pinatas preve exportar 380.000 unidades en el 2006; [Source: Expansion] |author=Fernando Ramirez |newspaper=NoticiasFinancieras |location=Miami |date=September 15, 2006 |page=1 |language=es |trans-title=Piñata company foresees the export of 280,000 units in 2006 }}</ref>

One niche market for piñatas in Mexico is of those themed for adults. These include political figures, especially those who are not particularly liked.<ref name="mexconnect"/><ref name="Hollywood"/> Another type for the adult market are sexually-themed piñatas, mostly those in the form of exotic dancers and strippers. Of the female of this type, the most popular are blondes. For the male, darker shades are preferred.<ref name="nopierden"/><ref name="nuevo">{{cite news |title=Un nuevo y divertido mercado: piñatas para fiestas de adultos |author=Yadira Moreno Léon |url=http://impreso.milenio.com/node/8651685 |newspaper=Milenio |location=Mexico City |date=October 4, 2009 |access-date=June 15, 2011 |language=es |trans-title=A new and fun market: piñatas for adult parties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110705120941/http://impreso.milenio.com/node/8651685 |archive-date=July 5, 2011 }}</ref> These piñatas will be filled with adult items such as condoms in addition to candy.<ref name="nuevo"/>

Piñatas are similarly popular in a number of other Latin American countries as well.<ref name="nicaragua"/><ref name="hardknock">{{cite news |title= A Hard Knock Life For A Pinata Maker's Art |author=anonymous |newspaper=NPR-All Things Considered  |location=Washington, DC |date=April 23, 2010 }}</ref>