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| At Carnival on Piñata Saturday 2026 |
The term "Piñata Weekend" originates from an old custom that prolonged Carnival beyond Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, well into Lent.
Carnival officially ended on Ash Wednesday, and Santa Cruz already mourned during the Burial of the Sardine. But the festivities still have one last push with Piñata Weekend. After Carnival comes Lent, a time historically dedicated to reflection, from which these last two days of celebration are taken. But what is the origin of its name?
The term "Piñata Weekend" originates from an old custom that extended Carnival beyond Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. "In various parts of Spain and in the Canary Islands, the festivities continued during the first days of Lent, in what was known as Little Carnival or Piñata Carnival," explains Julio Torres, a historian from La Laguna, citing researcher Pedro Manuel Grimón González.
Italian Pignatta
The word comes from the Italian word pignatta (fragile pot), because it was traditional that before the start of Lent, a period of fasting and abstinence, the game of breaking a clay pot or pignatta filled with sweets was celebrated.
"The piñata resembled a large orange, covered in colourful fabrics and adorned with numerous colorful ribbons. One of these ribbons opened the mechanism through which the objects inside fell out: nuts, flour, candies, gofio (a type of flour), eggs, sweets, and perhaps a small mouse or rabbit."
Piñata Dance
The piñata was broken as part of a choreographed dance, the Piñata Dance: "Couples began to dance, circling the piñata. The leader kept order so that all the couples took turns pulling the ribbons. When the piñata broke, the music stopped."
Today, carnivals like the one in Santa Cruz de Tenerife maintain Piñata Saturday and Sunday as days of intense festive activity. These dates are located after the Burial of the Sardine and are part of the calendar that marks the end of the celebrations in the city, but the festivities continue in other parts of the island.
¿Por qué se llama Piñata al último fin de semana del Carnaval?
(A pignatta (or pignata) is an Italian term for an earthenware cooking pot, historically used to cook beans in fireplaces. It is the origin of the Spanish word "piñata", referring to the fragile, clay containers used in European and, later, Mexican celebrations. It's derived from the Latin pinea ("pine cone"), referencing the original shape of these pots.)
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| Winter Olympics Carnival Style on Piñata Saturday in Santa Cruz 2026 |