Truly a barbaric ritual, played out at almost every birthday party, designed to teach our children about modern society.
First the kids line up to take turns bashing an innocent effigy (usually of a cute cuddly defenceless creature) with a baseball bat, until its guts (consisting of sweets, chocolates, toys and other goodies) spill out. Notice the girl in the background. She still has a tender heart.
Then it's a free-for-all as everyone grabs as much of the goodies for themselves as possible. Ken Lay must have enjoyed pinatas very much.
Survival training? There's a better way....