A Perfect Quinceanera A Quinceanera is an event that comes once in a lifetime and nearly every girl in the Hispanic community looks forward to it. From escorts to princess-like dresses to the party there is a plethora of planning needing to be done. There are several steps leading to the perfect party some of them being the following: pre-planning, rehearsals, and most importantly the main events occurring on the special day. Pre-Planning First the young lady must decide if she really wants a Quinceanera because there are girls who would much rather have a small gathering, a big trip, or even nothing at all. To begin one should start making plans 6 to 8 months before the big day. You do not want to be rushed for this occasion. A daughter …show more content…
There needs to be a finalization on the music to be used and a choreographer chosen to help with the dances. The more practices the better because you do not want to present an unfinished dance. My younger brother was part of a Quinceanera and throughout the months that they practiced, they always had escorts missing and did not get much done. When it came time to showcase the dance, most escorts were completely off step while others ran behind. Let’s just say it was a complete disaster. Going dress shopping is the most fun in the process of preparation. Going to the special boutiques and trying on endless dresses until you finally pick “The One”. The color of the dress determines the color of all the decorations. Most people have their invitations made in Mexico and delivered at least one month before the party. Invitations can come in all shapes and sizes and they must also follow with the theme and color of the …show more content…
As they are frantically beginning to decorate and put everything in place they are not able to be present at the ceremony being held at church. As unfortunate as this is the Quinceanera knows she must move on with the day to live in the moment and, as the photographers keep reminding her with every picture, to relive in the future. As the day progresses the Quinceanera goes through with the traditions of the church until it is time for the mass to end to begin the everlasting process of picture taking. Not one moment goes uncaptured by the light of the camera whether it be the simplest of moments like walking out of the church to the most extravagant of moments like the Quinceanera making her remarkable entrance to the reception. Every moment of the young girl becoming a young woman is being captured from a different arrangement of beautiful places. For instance, here in North Alabama the typical places to take Quinceanera pictures are UNA, Spring Park, and Heritage Park. As the photo session comes to a close the Quinceanera and her court of honor move on to the next section of their lists. This section is also the final portion of the traditional celebration as it is the reception. As they all make their grand entrance the guests cheer at the top of their lungs to help celebrate the wonderful existence of the amazing young woman
A Quinceañera is a popular rite of passage ceremony in Mexico, celebrated exclusively by girls. The term comes from the Spanish words quince and años, which mean fifteen and years (cf. Barbezat n.p.). As the name says it stands for a girl turning 15, which marks the end of childhood and symbolizes the start of a new life chapter as a grown woman (cf. Avila García). Important features of the celebration are family, womanhood and integrating the girl in the community as a new adult. Furthermore, the Quinceañera is now also ready to take responsibilities, make her own decisions and has more rights than she had before turning 15, for example driving a car. She is gaining liberty with her 15th birthday, and is about to make new experiences, like
. The day of my Quinceanera started early. I had just turned 15 and it was the birthday I had always dreamed of. I was always a dama in other Quinceanera’s, but now it was time for my own celebration. In Mexican culture, a dama is just like a bridesmaid. I had 14 of my closest friends as my dama’s to be a part of my “court of honor”. All 14 girls wore beautiful hot pink dresses and had polished hairstyles. The girls looked like beautiful dolls. When my mother was a little girl she had two Quinceanera’s. One celebration took place in Mexico and the other here in California. Looking back at my
All birthdays are special. Birthdays celebrate life and the passing of time. In a young Mexican girl life, there is no birthday more important then her quinceañera. The quinceañera is a celebration of a girl’s journey into womanhood. The story of my fifteenth birthday is contributed for a better understanding of how special it is to celebrate a girl’s transformation into a lady, and how it differs from any other birthday she celebrates.
Their family got together every opportunity they could. They had many traditional things they did as a family such as a gathering of family every year for her grandmother’s death, but as a celebration. Every year on Christmas Eve her family would also draw together to exchange gifts at different relative’s houses. The interviewee stated this became a tradition for her family because the married people in the family had to attend festivities at their spouses’ relatives. English and Spanish are both spoken in the Hispanics households. The majority of the older members of the family only speak Spanish. My interviewee stated that she did not know how to speak Spanish, but her mother did and fluently. She stated that her mother has always told her that she needed to know Spanish because that was her heritage, but she never felt it very necessary. The Hispanic culture celebrates the coming of age which is called a 15 or Quinceaneras. The Quinceanernas is usually a big production for the girls. The girls have escorts and dress in a formal type ballroom dress and have many of her friends and relatives there for the celebration. My interviewee stated that she did not have a Quinceaneras because she did not really get into it. She also stated that she got pregnant and did not want her parents to spend all that money for the celebration. The boys on the other hand do not go all out with this type of celebration, but instead celebrate at their
It can range from a fairytale princess, Cinderella, fairies and butterflies to precious moments in her life. And the third step is having a waltz. In most countries they have traditional customs were the quinceanera dances the first dance with her father. While dancing they play favorite quinceanera songs which are De Niña a Mujer (From Child to Woman) and La Ultima Muñeca (The Last Doll). It’s a special moment in time when the father and daughter are dancing. And the last step in having accessories for quinceanera includes dresses, tiaras, guest book, photo albums, champagne glasses, dolls, bibles, decorations and planning. In most countries in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central, and South America it’s a traditional and custom that their godparents and their parents pay for everything for her quinceanera on her fifteenth birthday. After cousin Christian finished explaining to me, she continued walking down the hall to begin to celebrate her fifteenth birthday. I told myself to never forget the first quinceanera I attended, and what she told me.
The Hispanic culture values children’s turning of age just like the American culture does. In American culture, teenagers can buy cigarettes and lottery tickets at age eighteen. At age sixteen, most American teens (depending on the state) can get a permit and begin to learn to drive. In Hispanic culture, fifteen is the chosen age; they value the girl’s fifteenth birthday because that is the age that they believe the young girl changes and becomes an adult, a woman. When the girl celebrates her fifteenth birthday, they celebrate by having a big turning-of-age ceremony and reception which they call a Quinceñera. The Quinceñera is a big event, almost like a wedding for the young girl.
Getting the dress custom made does not mean that it will be less expensive; the price relies on the type of fabric, design, and the tailor selected. Furthermore, there is a large variety of fabric to choose from. It differs from traditional silk to the most modern materials used today. The type of fabric and color of your dress is defined by the style and personality, although it is advised to stay close to the modern fashion trends. At least 9 months before the event, the decision of the dress should have been made, and also visited a variety of stores, web pages, and looked through magazines to complete your decision. It is highly recommended to ask the mother for advice or someone that person trusts in case the mother is not there, but it is also not recommended to take more than one person when buying and choosing the dress because different opinions may confuse you and affect the decision. When choosing the dress, you should always make sure you are pleased with what you chose. In addition, it is unconditionally essential to try on all the styles you like and those you do not like since you might realize that you like the way they fit you. Although it was accustomed for Quinceañera dresses to be white or a pastel color and decorated with sequins or extra extravagant
A Quinceanera is a celebration of a Hispanic girl turning fifteen years old. It recognizes her coming to age. It is usually a religious event. There is food, music, and dancing at the party. Many americans girl now have a sweet sixteen. This came from a Quinceanera and Americans borrowed it. Hispanic girls in America also do sweet sixteens, but they are exactly the same as Quinceanera. They still are mainly based around religion. They also still have food, music, and dancing. A Quinceanera has many other names such as,Quince Anos, a quinces, a Quinceanero, or a Fiesta Rosa. A Quinceanera is a very big deal for teenage Hispanic girls. The party is only about them. They dress up in very expensive dresses and they get to pick the food that they
Quinceanera is one of the most meaningful and beautiful occasions in Mexican culture. It embarks the celebration of girl’s fifteen birthday that is anticipated with much happiness and enjoyment. It is a celebration of womanhood means she is fully ready to take on her responsibilities and is of marriageable age. The ceremony is celebrated with zest and zeal by the parents.
In Spanish-speaking communities in the United States, girls do still have a Quinceanera, but it has to be altered in the way that it is done. There are many people that do not speak Spanish in the U.S., so there’s has to be a way to coordinate these people into the celebration, since mostly even have the English Language in common. Invitations for Quinceanera are made both in Spanish and In English. The invitations that are in English might read “Sweet 15” instead of a Quinceanera. Traditions that are done during the ceremony might not be done, they might be done before the ceremony. A young girl may chose to have a “Sweet 16” instead of the traditional Quinceanera. A “Sweet 16” is the coming of age party in the United
Many Mexican people have preserved and still do many of their ancestors’ traditions. Tradition plays a big role in my family for example: the food we eat, the music we listen to, what we dance to and what we celebrate to. I wanted a sweet sixteen but of course being Mexican my parents said no. Being in the Mexican culture tradition is that when you turn 15 you’re supposed to have a Quinceanera it symbolizes that you are no longer a kid but you are now a young women. Many people think a Quinceanera is just a party but the real tradition is to have a church mass. Since I am catholic that consists of me going to church and thanking God.
In many hispanic cultures, it is customary to have a big celebration for a young girls fifteenth birthday. This tradition is known as a Quinceanera, Quince, or Fiesta Rosa. This tradition celebrates a young girls coming of age. Moreover, this celebration “[embraces] religious customs, and the virtues of family and social responsibility” (Quinceanera-Boutique). In addition to celebrating the quinceanera, the big event allows family to come together and just enjoy themselves.
My friend's Quinceañera, like my sweet sixteen's, was a large celebration treated with traditional value. Large celebrations held in the honor of young girls transitioning into womanhood. Traditional gateways that our elders guide us through with presents and festivity. These are things that both me and Nicole note to be a "big deal." At least, both of our families treat the holidays with the same sort of importance.
Although the Quinceanera is a formal rites of passage that is supposed to signify maturity and purity, in this article it is portrayed as just a fancy coming of age party that does not shape one 's identity. “It is rare that a ritual alters the way a society is organized” (Alvarez 50). At the Quinceañera Expo, Alvarez noticed little girls walking around in lustrous dresses and tiaras in their hair (Alvarez, pg. 50). The ritual is similar to the American Sweet 16 than a coming
Every culture has their own traditions; Mexico is a country with a lot of them, with influence from catholic religion. A Mexican wedding is a hard and long process from the planning to the reception, but the most important thing is to enjoy the