Planning a first-grade fiesta this Friday at 3:00, and I want a cute MC moment while we hoist the star piñata. Is the trivia true that piñatas started in China and traveled via Marco Polo before landing in Mexico, or is there a better kid-friendly origin line I should use?
The China-to-Europe-via-Marco Polo tale is popular, but Mexico also had break-the-pot traditions, so you can say it “traveled the world and found its fiesta home in Mexico.” For your MC: “Long ago, people in China made paper animals for luck; after a long journey and a lot of candy, the piñata became a Mexican party star!” If you want a quick grownup source, Britannica has a blurb: Piñata | decorative container | Britannica.