From the Dachunniu to the Piñata: Tracing the Alleged Chinese Origin of a Mexican Tradition

Abstract

This article explores the alleged Chinese origin of the pinata by examining Chinese textual sources and the book attributed to Marco Polo (1254–1324), The Travels of Marco Polo. First, my work will briefly survey the history of the Chinese tradition called Dachunniu (hitting the spring ox) and that of the pinata, speculating on the similarities and possible linkage between the two traditions. Second, it will conduct a textual investigation of the book attributed to Marco Polo and its historical context in order to examine the alleged Chinese connection of the pinata. I argue that the practice of the pinata can be tentatively attributed to the Chinese custom of the Dachunniu and that Marco Polo might have played a key role in the transmission of the tradition, but any definitive conclusion is dependent on additional evidences, textual, or material.