How to Make a Pinata

So tomorrow is Cinqo De Mayo. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the event, Cinqo De Mayo is a Mexican holiday that celebrates a military victory on May 5, 1862. Today, the holiday is much more about celebrating Mexican culture and is celebrated much more in the United States than it is in Mexico. It’s a great time to spend some time with friends and family and to experience the culture of Mexico. If you were planning on going out to eat at a sit down restaurant tomorrow, make it a Mexican one. It’s likely they will have something special planned.

If you’re going to stay in, how about you throw a Cinqo de Mayo party? Get some catering, drink Mexican beer, listen to Mariachi bands… eating, drinking, and music are a large part of enjoying any culture. Who says you can’t do that at home?

Also, I recommend having a pinata at your party. Here’s how to make one:

The basic strategy is to make a paper mache shape, and then to decorate it and fill it with goodies. Pretty simple. You’ll need:

flour, 2 cups
water, 3 cups
a big balloon
newspaper, cut into long, thin (1-2 inch) strips
stuff to color the pinata with (paint, markers, whatever)
colored crepe paper
a string strong enough to hold a loaded pinata.

When it comes to actually assembling the pinata, do the following:

inflate the balloon (tie it off, silly)
mix flour & water till it is a smooth paste
dip the newspaper strips in the flour and water mixture
place said strips on the balloon, until it is covered (leave a SMALL opening that you can pour candy into, or whatever it is you are going to stuff it with)
let the balloon dry
repeat steps 3-5 till you’ve got three or four layers on top of the balloon
pop the balloon and remove it

Decorating time! Use your paint etc to decorate the pinata with awesome, bright sunny colors. The colored crepe paper may be glued onto the pinata everywhere. Once your pinata is a burst of Mexican sunshine, then you want to fill it with candy. (Does anyone fill pinatas with anything else?) Then puncture two small holes in the top of your pinata, and use your strong string to hang it wherever. Finito!

You are now officially on your way to having a Cinqo de Mayo party. Don’t overwhelm yourself preparing for it, and of course if crafts aren’t your thing, you can always buy a pinata from Smarter. Whatever you’re doing tomorrow, I hope you have a great Cinqo de Mayo. Enojy!