Glorious holiday décor and reruns of “Rudolph,” Charlie Brown, and the Grinch aren’t the triggers signaling visions of chile-dusted sugarplums, peanuts and tangerines in the Christmas party bolas (treat bags).
Roughly finished brown clay jars (canteros) that are transformed with tissue paper and paper mache, live in the heart of the versatile, beautiful handmade piñatas.
In every Mexican village, there are housewives positioned a block or two apart who supplement their income, year-round, by making all sizes, shapes and designs of piña- tas. There are tiny ones small enough to be hung on the branches of a Christmas tree, others that are favored for birthday party guests and some that are nearly life-size.
These days, most piñatas look like a parade of Disney princesses and Star Wars char- acters, but there are still plenty of wise men, shepherds, lambs, dogs, snowmen, poinsettias Stanta Clauses and floppy-haired renditions of Donald Trump.
The most traditional design, still a favorite after many centuries, is the Sputnik-shaped star with from five to seven points. The center is covered with fringed tissue paper and tassels dangle from shiny paper cones.
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