Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-03-22

the rainbow. Red, white and green rib
bons, forming long streamers, and sill
yer and gold tinsel. 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
grafton Of the ola. 1t is the aim of
each to devise as original dressing
for the pinata as possible, and it can.
be made a 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 is filed. The filling consists Of pea
nuts. hazel nuts, hard candies. 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
a 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 is jar
or umbrella stand filed with apisaco
canes or sticks. When everything Is
ready child or grown person is Sc
lected and called by name. She comes
forward and is blindfolded.
Then the fun begins. The person
blindf0lded is turned round and round
until she loses all knowledge Of where
the pinata hangs. A cane is put in her
hands, and she is told to hit the pinata
and try to break it. She is given three
chances. If she fails to hit it she sits
down amid laughter and ridicule. If
she hits it without breaking it she is
entitled to a small prize.
And SO it goes on, one after another
being called up, blindfolded and given q
cane and three chances to break the
pinata. 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
rushes forward to gather as much Of
the spilled contents as possible.
The fortunate breaker Of the pinata
! gets handsome prize and is awarded
the seat of honor. He or she sits down
and is debarred from another trial at
breaking another pinata. AS soon as
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
tn is broken, and then the prizes are
awarded.
The pinata party is the great social
and fun making feature Of the Christ
mas season. After the pinatas have
been broken and supper has been
served there follows dancing, or trav.
cling company Of Indians from the
mountains Is brought in to sing and
dance In native costume.
THESE travelling Indians are some
what like the singing bands which &c
around at Christmas time from house
to house in England, Germany. France
and Italy. They have been known and
popular in Mexico from time immemo
rial. The are much In demand during
the Christmas holiday season.--Kansal
City Star. -.