Did you know that the piñata isn’t only a Mexican custom? A conflux of Mesoamerican tradition and Chino-European celebration which was once commonly associated with Lent, hitting decorated papier-mâché with a stick in order to release candy or other goodies is part of the culture throughout much of Latin America.
And when Mexico exited the Copa América Centenario at the quarter-final stage, succumbing 7-0 to a rampant Chile with Eduardo Vargas scoring a whopping four goals, who better than Chile – where no party takes place without a piñata present – to take over the mantle we today tend to refer solely to Mexico?
It was Chile who made it all the way to the final of the tournament, which commemorated a century of the Copa América and CONMEBOL. And when the Chileans emerged victorious from their decisive penalty shootout with Argentina, retaining the title which they won last year on home soil, it was with a piñata that they chose to celebrate.
But this was no ordinary piñata. Lionel Messi, the Barcelona talisman and the only football player in history to win five Ballons d’Or, missed Argentina’s first spot-kick, sending his country on a crash course towards defeat. After the game a distraught Messi announced his retirement from international football, after seven major tournaments and four heartbreaking falls at the last.
Ironically one thing which never looked like falling was his spot-kick, which he skied miles over the crossbar as the Chilean spectators cheered and caroused in sheer joy. One such fan, a 32-year-old named Arturo Vasquez, standing at the very rear of the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, happened to catch Messi’s penalty as it soared skyward.
A fine needleman, Vasquez clung onto the ball and back home managed to unpick the seams, filling the sundered pigskin with all manner of treats, chocolate coins, salt water taffy, a box of twelve alfajores, and a miniature of the Centenario trophy which retains the original’s silhouette.
He sewed the ball back together and hung it out in his patio-garden, where beneath a banner bearing the Chilean heroes, above a rug made to resemble Messi’s world-weary face, Vasquez and his friends prodded and poked at this home-made piñata, revelling long into the night at the success of their team.
