The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-03-10
4 FROLIC IN MEXICO
JREAklNo THE PlNATA DURING THE
CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL.

4
FILLING the Ola.
Christmas in Mexico In not the typ.
lcai Christmas OF cold and snow and
Zee, but one Of bright warm sunshine,
eloudlcss blue skies, flowers In profu.
sion, trees In full foliage and life Of
out OF doors.
AZ least q week before Christmas In
the principal streets Of Mexico arches
are erected from sidewalk 20 sidewalk
festooned with wreaths Of flowers and
bunting In the national colors--red,
white and green. Under the arches
booths are erected. and every toy man
ufactured In Mexico Ia on sale.
In every Mexican house great prep
arations are made for what Is called
the "pinata." Every child begs and
scrapes and saves the centavos for
weeks and months ahead. All kinds OF
articles are made especially for this
ceremony, and every family vies with
ifs friends and neighbors to have its
pinata more beautiful and fanciful than
any one else's.
The pinata Ia really an earthenware
utensll which 10 In general use for cook.
Ing. II 10 called In common parlance
an ola and is OF brown pottery some
thing like the Old fashioned earthen-
ware crooks used In the north before
enamel ware became the fad.
The pinatas are large or small, as the
curse Of the purchaser permits. They
ARE round. pot bellIed and very large at
the top. They are sold from door to
door on the streets and In the markets.
They cost only 10, 10 or 20 centavos,
but the ola IL the least expensive part
OF the game. ..ss..
The body Of the ola for q woman ia
covered with tissue paper: then a GRIN
kled paper dress is fashioned: then a
bodice n built up draped TO represent
loose white waist. and above this Is
placed false face. The hair Is made
with black paper. braided into one long
plait at the back. az the women wear
their hair In Mexico. Sometimes a
white tehusna headdress is made Of the
lace paper used by bakers and confec.
tioners.
A flower plnata In decorated with
large paper flowers In every color OF
the rainbow. Red, white and green rib
bons. forming long steamers. and sil-
yer and gold tlnsel, glass balls and col
ored lights all help to make the flower
pinata very beautiful. The possibilities
for dressing these pinatas are endless.
In large family the mother and
daughters have their own pinatas. and
great secrecy Is maintained In the dec
oration of the OLA. II Is the aim OF
each to devise as original dressing
for the pinata as possible, and 1t can
be made very extravagant ornament.
In the families OF wealthy Mexicans
the luxury OF the pinata often mounts
into thousands.
After the ola Is decorated to the taste
It Ia filled. The filing consists OF pea.
nuts. hazel nuts, hard candles, like
marbles, and all kinds of Mexican
dulces. These dulces are candied fruits.
nut paste, etc.
Christmas night the pinatas are car
ried In great state into the sala and
suspended from the ceiling one at
time. All the relatives Of the family
are present, and as cousins Of the fifth
and sixth degree are recognized and
children are very numerous there is
generally large gathering. They all
sit very demurely on chairs ranged in
q row around the walls Of the room.
One person is constituted master Of
ceremonies, the eldest son or daughter
Of the house. He or she stands In the
middle OF the room. Near by II Jar
or umbrella stand filled with aplsaco
canes or sticks. When everything 'is
ready child or grown person Is So
lected and called by name She comes
forward and is bllndfolded.
Then the fun begins. The person
blindfolded 10 turned round and round
until she loses all knowledge Of where
the pinata hangs. A cane Ia put In her
hands, and she is told to hit the pinata
and try to break It. She Is given three
chances. II she fails to hit 1t she sits
down amid laughter and rldicule. II
she hits 1t without breaking 1t she Is
entitled to u small prize.
And so 1t goes on, one after another
being called up, blindfolded and given a
cane and three chances to break the
plnata. Finally one more fortunate
than the rest succeeds IN giving hard
enough blow, and, crash. the pinata
falls TO the grounds In hundreds OF bits,
and its contents are scattered far and
wide
A wild scramble ensues. Everybody
ryshes forward to gather as much Of
the spilled contents MS possible.
The fortunate breaker of the pinata
gets n handsome prize and Is awarded
the seat OF honor. He or she sits down
and Is debaTed from another trial ut
breaking another plnata. AS soon us
the confusion dies down and order Is
somewhat restored another ola Is hung
up and the same routine gone through.
SO the fun continues until the last pima
ia is broken, and then the prizes are
avyn rdnd