Quinceañera is a Spanish term means fifteen year and it’s celebrated in Latin community when a girl turn fifteen to symbolize her transition to womanhood. Also known as simply quince or the longer quince años, fiesta de quince años or fiesta de Quinceañera. Quinceañera tradition has been linked back to 600 years ago with the Aztecs and Mayan. Traditionally Quinceañera is celebrated for the young girls who has just turn 15 to mark her eligibility for marriage and have children. In the modern world 15 is consider too young for marriage!Quinceañeras originated from Aztec culture around 500 B.C. At age fifteen boys became warriors and girls were viewed as mothers of future warriors, marking the age in which a girl became a woman. Over time, the quinceañera has continued to represent the symbolic change of a girl to a woman, though birthing new warriors is not a new woman’s primary occupation anymore.The quinceañera is a celebration for Latin girls who, turning fifteen, are honored for having maintained their virginity up to this point in their lives. The festivities combine Spanish-Catholic traditions with the Aztec and Indigenous heritage. In ancient Mexico or Mexica, the Aztecs had many ceremonies to mark passages through the stages of life; this specific passage marks a young woman becoming an adult, by being presented as a virgin to the community for probable suitors.In a traditional Mexican quinceañera, there are damas and chambelanes, the people who do the dances at the quinceañera along with the Quinceañera herself. There is also a “man of honor,” or accompanying male. A dowry, or bridal wealth, is presented to the family of the young woman by potential suitors as gifts for the family. Prior to the giving away of the young woman, the women engage in festivities in instructing the girl in her duties and responsibilities, urging her to follow the correct path, remaining true to her people and their traditions, in her life, The meaning behind the quincerañera has become more refined over time and has been adapted into various Latin cultures based on the country they are in. Quinceañera is the equivalent of the US version sweet 16 or the upper class debutante ball at the age of 16-18. However it differ in the way and scale it’s celebrated. The girl celebrating Quinceañera is also known as Quinceañera.
One of the most important celebrations in Mexican culture is the tradition of the quinceañera. This constitutes a ceremony on a girl’s fifteenth birthday to mark her passage to womanhood, to give thanks to God for his blessings, and to present a young woman to the community. From an anglo perspective, the festival would seem a combination of a “sweet sixteen” birthday party combined with a coming out ball for debutantes.In Mexican communities, the quinceañera serves not only to honor the young woman for her maturity, but also the girl’s parents and family, as well as her padrinos or godparents. The godparents, and her mother and father play important roles throughout the ceremonies. Most societies have rituals signifying a passage to adulthood for both women and men, but the quinceañera is very distinctive. In former times, the girl’s fifteenth birthday would have signaled that she was an active, adult member of the community, fully ready to take on her share of responsibilities, and indicated that she was of marriageable age and status. Today, the tradition has taken on other meanings, but remains a celebration of womanhood, family and community. Today’s celebrations embrace religious customs, and the virtues of family and social responsibility. The Quinceanera tradition celebrates the young girls, and recognizes her journey from childhood to maturity.
The customs highlight God, family, friends, music, food, and dance.
Interestingly, many families today are merging their Hispanic and American
heritages by choosing to celebrate a Sweet Sixteen. For their Sweet 16 party,
the families do the full-blown quinceanera traditions – the religious ceremony,
the reception, the tiara with the number 16, and more. We encourage families to
select the customs that have special meaning to them and to add to the customs
as they wish. That is what makes the celebration unique and very special. There are many traditions throughout the quinceanera celebration. One of the most popular is the Changing of the Shoes. The father or favored male relative ceremoniously changes the young girl’s flat shoes to high heels. This is a beautiful symbol of the Quinceanera’s transformation from a little girl to a young lady.
What are the color of traditional Quinceañera dress?
Traditionally young girls celebrating Quinceañera will wear white dress like wedding gown (without train). The color white represent the girl’s purity and to distinguish from other girls who are with her at the event. Another traditional Quinceañera dress color is pink. Normally pastel color are the favorites but as time goes by bold color like red, blue and purple are accepted too.If you’re looking for stylish and pretty Quinceañera dresses , PrettyQuinceanera.com has the answer to it. We choose a few of our favorite pieces to showcase here. They range from white, pink and other bold color design. Take your pick. 🙂
