The quinceanera is a very important event in the life of a Latina girl, sometimes viewed in the same light as an 18th, 21st or even 50 years birthday in American culture. In Hispanic tradition, at the age of fifteen, girls have a special event called the quinceanera, specifically reserved for them to show that they are women now. According to the website quinceanera.com, this is a celebration that recognizes a woman’s virginity, and this is a custom which should be saluted.
The practice of quincineras can be traced back to Aztec culture, around 500 B.C. Boys would be prepared for good as soldiers while girls were deemed as essential to the strength of the tribe, for girls would give birth to future soldiers. The fundamental aspects of the Quinceanera have changed throughout the years but it’s still associated with changing from a girl to a woman. Because motherhood was equally stressed at that phase, there has been a slow decline of such stress.
Usually, the first part of the celebration involves a Catholic mass with members of the family of the Quinceanera and some friends after which she stands for some pictures with her friends. Many like Junior Jiin Park, find going to a quinceanera quite nice as a culture shock with many good dances and good food.
The participants often include Damas and Chamberlains who dance with the quinceanera and a “kind of an honorary gentleman” who has a special dance with her. A tiara is also placed on her head to denote her being a princess in the family.
As for the particulars of Quinceaneras, it shows some variation depending on the specific country. In Argentina and Paraguay, for instance the “15 Candles” ceremony involves the quinceanera placing candles symbolizing fifteen people who have been most important in her life, while giving the phrases. In Cuba, the emphasis is on the working of married dancers in unison who move round the sixteen year old during the fiesta. In the Dominican Republic, the festivities begin with mass after which a buffet is served and the spotlight is on the cake which they cut. Guests are also expected to go by a code of dress which is such that it does not blind forth greater brightness as well sophistication than the quinceanera making her always the center of the occasion.