I think Pi was two the year we first broke a homemade piñata on Christmas Eve. Why a piñata? I don’t know. We were new parents trying to drum up a kid-friendly activity. All she dared do was lightly tap it with the stick from a safe distance, and even that took some prodding, gentle creature that she was. Still, in the spirit of forging family traditions we have repeated this activity every Christmas Eve since.
The piñata is made from a balloon covered with paper maché, and so must resemble something round, like a planet or Humpty Dumpty. This year we made a pig because it is the year of the boar in the Chinese zodiac (or so Isp informs us, and why wouldn’t a seven year old know such things?)
The legs and snout were pieces of paper towel tube, the tail a chenille stem which means “pipe cleaner” in craft language. A piece of twine was tied criss-cross around the balloon for something to hang the piñata by. The paper was dipped in flour paste then layered over everything. One layer of paper maché is strong enough for us, but muscles don’t exactly run in the family.
Everybody helps. Or at least watches.
After a couple days when the paper maché was dry, we sawed a little hole in the top (since we forgot to leave one) and popped the balloon. Then we painted it pink. I’m embarrassed to admit I didn’t take a photo of the finished product before we had embarked on its destruction. My Spouse secretly loads the piñata so its contents are a surprise.
Go Pi! We had another family over on Christmas Eve so there was a whole crowd of children whacking at the pig. Our friend maneuvering the pole made it harder for the big kids and easier for the littles. Even with eight kids, everybody had several turns before…
Look at the Baby! When she saw the kids dive for the loot, she turbo-crawled in to get some too.
The process of creating the piñata together and waiting for it to dry seems to bring our kids together and make the final event so looked forward to and fun. I love that it is unique to our family and a constant every Christmas Eve.
Finally, here is a snapshot of Pi and Tood with their piñatas taken in 2000, way back before color photography.
We did it. A bona fide family tradition.
(For more wonderful from-scratchiness, visit the from scratch blog carnival!)
