Crafting joy: Mexico’s piñata makers keep a colorful tradition alive

In a small workshop in Acolman, bright paper and glue cover the tables as artisans prepare for Mexico’s festive season. Among them is 12-year-old Jayden Hernandez Ortiz, carefully shaping a traditional seven-pointed piñata — a symbol steeped in the country’s evangelization in the 16th century.

“The seven-pointed piñata represents the seven deadly sins,” Hernandez explains. “When it breaks, sweets fall as a reward for defeating evil. Before, it was fruit. That’s how they began evangelizing indigenous cultures.”

Hernandez is the third generation in his family to carry on the craft, a tradition started by his grandmother decades ago.

Nearby, Jaqueline Garcia Gonzalez adds finishing touches to another creation. “We always try to give each piñata love and care so people feel it,” she says. “If you make things in a rush, you don’t transmit that.” For artisans like Garcia and Vanessa Urbina, piñatas are more than decorations — they are a way to unite families and preserve heritage.

As Christmas approaches, piñatas make their way into Mexican homes for posadas, lively parties that recreate Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter. These gatherings are filled with carols, traditional food like ponche and tamales, and the joyful moment when children and adults break piñatas stuffed with candy.

-Alicia Fernandez and Mariana Hernandez