Tristan's birthday party was yesterday, and much fun was had by all. As in every birthday party he has ever had, the crowning glory of the party (besides the awesome bubble-wrap party game: and whoever thought of THAT was absolutely brilliant) was the piñata.
I have never given piñatas much thought. Everyone has them. They are standard fare in the borderlands at birthday parties and other special occasions. But, holy cow, they really teach kids how to be violent.
Child approaches effigy of choice.
Child is handed a baseball bat or a stick.
Crowd screams in what can only be called blood lust, "Hit it! Kill it! Knock it around! Harder! Hit it harder!"
Parents and adults comment on the ability of the child to destruct the effigy. The more powerful the blows, the better. You hear things like, "She's a little spitfire, she is" or "Look at how he hits it, he will be strong when he grows up."
Child is handed a baseball bat or a stick.
Crowd screams in what can only be called blood lust, "Hit it! Kill it! Knock it around! Harder! Hit it harder!"
Parents and adults comment on the ability of the child to destruct the effigy. The more powerful the blows, the better. You hear things like, "She's a little spitfire, she is" or "Look at how he hits it, he will be strong when he grows up."
To challenge older children, they can be blindfolded and spun around, thus ensuring that they are capable of violence in difficult situations.
Children take turns hitting until said effigy is in bad enough shape to let out its insides, which happens to be some sort of sweet or toy. There is the mad rush of children to fill bags with goodies fallen to the ground, and a real 'each to his own' mentality. Those who get the most win. Those who don't, cry.
Upon thinking about it, this innate violence is not limited to this culture and the occurrences of piñatas (which may have originated in China and traveled across the world to Spain, and by extensions, Mexican culture.) The world has many types of similar things.
The ancient concept of the sacred king, who is sacrificed for the fertility of the fields at the end of his reign, transmuted into the sacrifice of an effigy. England's Bonfire Night sees children throwing effigies of the traitor Guy Fawkes they have been carrying around onto the bonfire and screaming in delight as it burns.
Historically effigies have represented powerful figures, and even today the destruction of an effigy may be a political statement of discontent.
It is not that I am against piñatas. I have grown up with them, as have my children. But it interests me that there is such a violent undercurrent to them that we don't even really notice. Perhaps violence is in our nature the world over.
The ancient concept of the sacred king, who is sacrificed for the fertility of the fields at the end of his reign, transmuted into the sacrifice of an effigy. England's Bonfire Night sees children throwing effigies of the traitor Guy Fawkes they have been carrying around onto the bonfire and screaming in delight as it burns.
Historically effigies have represented powerful figures, and even today the destruction of an effigy may be a political statement of discontent.
It is not that I am against piñatas. I have grown up with them, as have my children. But it interests me that there is such a violent undercurrent to them that we don't even really notice. Perhaps violence is in our nature the world over.
References:
Sacred King:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_king
The Piñata:
http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/wdevlin/wdpinatahistory.html
Bonfire Night:
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/guy/history.htm
Political Effigies:
http://cultureandcommunication.org/deadmedia/index.php/Political_Effigies
Effigies as political statements:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/sep/16/catholicism.religion
http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/12225
Sacred King:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_king
The Piñata:
http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/wdevlin/wdpinatahistory.html
Bonfire Night:
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/guy/history.htm
Political Effigies:
http://cultureandcommunication.org/deadmedia/index.php/Political_Effigies
Effigies as political statements:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/sep/16/catholicism.religion
http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/12225
1 comments:
Hi Amy,
When am I going to get to see you? It is cool to think that I was the first person to see you in the UK :)
As far as the pinata goes, I feel the same way. I'm not big on giving kids bats and telling them to hit something until it busts open!
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