History Statue of Franciscan friar hitting a piñata in Acolman, Mexico StateĪlthough today, piñatas are typically used for a fun activity at parties, their origins lie in other customs. 'pinecone.' It may also come from Spanish piña lit. The Spanish word piñata probably derives from the Italian pignatta 'fragile pot,' itself from pigna lit. Today, the piñata is still part of Mexican culture, the cultures of other countries in Latin America, as well as the United States, but it has mostly lost its religious character. According to local records, the Mexican piñata tradition began in the town of Acolman, just north of Mexico City, where piñatas were introduced for catechism purposes as well as to co-opt the Huitzilopochtli ceremony. The Spanish brought the European tradition to Mexico, although there were similar traditions in Mesoamerica, such as the Aztecs' honoring the birthday of the god Huītzilōpōchtli in mid-December. The idea of breaking a container filled with treats came to Europe in the 14th century. Piñatas are commonly associated with Mexico. “Nelvana is known for its top-quality development, production, and distribution of premium kids’ content, and we couldn’t be more pleased to partner with them on the development of a playful new series that will further engage fans as they experience the ever-growing Piñataverse.For other uses, see Piñata (disambiguation).Ī nine-pointed star piñata A woman strikes a piñata at a celebration.Ī piñata ( / p ɪ n ˈ j ɑː t ə/, Spanish pronunciation: ( listen)) is a container, often made of papier-mâché, pottery, or cloth, that is decorated, filled with candy, and then broken as part of a celebration.

“Building on the momentum of our achievements bringing successful gaming properties into toys and apparel, we developed Piñata Smashlings in-house as a truly immersive IP and are pleased to add an animated series to our plans,” said Toikido Founder & CEO Darran Garnham. Piñata Smashlings is home to hundreds of playful characters called “Smashlings” – cheeky little creatures and playful Piñatas – who love to have fun and are always on the lookout for the Rainbow Whale who drops new Rainbow pods. “Their first in-house IP, Piñata Smashlings, has already garnered massive hype ahead of its launch this summer, and we can’t wait for fans of the brand to see the new character-driven series that will expand the amusing Piñataverse world and showcase its characters like they’ve never seen them before.” “Toikido is an innovative new company that has quickly achieved success turning popular gaming properties into toys and apparel for a global audience,” said Nelvana President Pam Westman.

Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana has teamed up with London-based entertainment company Toikido to develop a new animated kids' series based on its game IP, Piñata Smashlings.

Animated adult pinata images