Latin American Vs Quinceanera Party

Marked as a celebration of the transition from childhood to womanhood, quinceaneras have been a long-standing tradition among Latin American families. Though “quinceanera” literally means “fifteen year old girl,” the term has become more closely associated with the celebration itself, oftentimes by non-latinx people. Among Latin American families and culture, the celebration is often referred to as “fiesta de quince años” (fifteen year party) or simply a “quinces.” To avoid any confusion, I use “quinceanera” to refer to the celebration, rather than the individual, for the remainder of this paper. Historically, fifteen was seen as the age when Latina girls were ready for marriage, and the quinceanera celebrated that transition. While modern quinceaneras have drifted away from this initial intent, and now reflect more of a celebratory coming of age narrative, the marriage and wedding-related symbolism is still apparent.

My family tradition is that when a daughter turns fifteen the parents thought a party called a quinceañera. My parents invited friends and family members to celebrate this happy occasion. In a mexican culture they do a quinceañera to show the transformation of a young girl into womenhood. The quinceañera is the last party to show that the girls are no longer little girls in the eyes of society.

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.

In Latin American countries, they have a very unique culture. With their holidays, music, celebrations, and art, the countries in Latin America never cease to bring joy in people’s lives. Latin American culture is vastly different than other cultures in many ways. In Latin America, the languages of Spanish and Portuguese are dominant and most people speak them. However there are people who speak other languages as well. Latin America includes nineteen countries and several territories. There are a variety of different ethnicities in Latin America including Mexicans, Europeans, and Asians. Education inside the Latin American culture still struggles. Only a little more than half of kids ages 13-17 advance into secondary school. Because of this, the crime and violence rates in Latin America are at an all time high. These countries have been rated as one of the most dangerous regions in the world because of how high the rates of crime and violence are.

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 a Costa Rican styled quinceanera, the traditional customs consist of a Bible, flower bouquet, tiara/crown, three roses, quince shoes from going from flat shoes to high heels, a watch, ring/cross, guestbook, and doll. All of these traditional customs have a special meanign that ties them altogether. The bible is important because it is recommended to have a Bible covered in either satin, lace, silk, taffeta, etc. It is the first object that is given to the young lady during the ceremony when the priest or pastor indicates it. He will talk about the importance of the word of God in the Quinceañera’s life. The flowers should be the same color as the Quinceañera’s dress. She will leave the bouquet at the altar as an offering and her parents

A similarity is that they both deal with dead people or skeletons. Skeletons or las calacas are an internal or external framework of bone, cartilage, or other material supporting or in the body of an animal. Mexico dresses up as them and hangs them up as a sign of gratitude, you could say, while elsewhere celebrates halloween and hangs them up as a decoration to scare

The first two ceremonies I would explain are the Bar Mitzvah and the Bat Mitzvah, which are quite similar to each other. At the age of 13, Jewish boys become a Bar Mitzvah and at the age of 12, Jewish girls become a Bat Mitzvah. The ceremony, which usually takes place during the Shabbat morning service, may feature the bar/bat mitzvah child leading prayers, or reading the Torah/Haftarah. If my guest were to attend one of these ceremonies, I explain that they should dress formal, wear a tallit and kippah, and should be respectful of the ceremony and the individuals. The next ceremony I explain to my tourist is the male circumcision ceremony, called the Brit Milah. On the eighth day from when the child is born, the ceremony takes place following the morning prayer. The mother of the child hands over her child to a husband and wife due, known as the kvatters. Then the child is placed in the chair of Elijah, a chair designated for circumcisions and the mohel, the ritual circumciser, performs the ritual with the child’s father beside him. Following the circumcision is a prayer and a festive meal, consisting of meat, fish, dairy and wine. The last ceremony I explain, is the naming ceremony form girls, known as Simhat Bat. This ceremony is begun with a Hebrew welcome, “Brucha

In Spanish class recently, we watched a movie about a young girl named Marta, who faced many problems throughout a period of months. Whether it was family, or a boy she snuck around, Marta always wanted to help. But the one thing Marta hoped and dreamed for was a Quinceañera. When girls turn 15 years of age, it is optional to have one. But Marta worried because it was optional, she could end up not having one. This put a lot of stress on her.

Western traditions are more often than not, a party of some kind. In America, a celebration of a 16th birthday (traditionally girls) is called a “Sweet 16”. This usually a big party of some kind where family, extended family, and friends are invited. Each of the sixteen candles on their cake represent a family member, friends and boyfriend (or close male friend). The father or the girl, who is sitting on a chair in front of everyone, approaches her with a pair of high heels and replaces her flats with them. The mother also places a tiara on her head. These two ceremonies symbolises her shift into adulthood.

Latin America is home to many unique and diverse cultures who express their traditions in a variety of ways. In the early 1600s to late 1800s, Latin America hosted to a plethora of artistic expressions unique to each country, including dance, art and literature. Some of these distinct art forms include capoeira, a dance/fighting style unique to those in Brazil of African descent, and paintings such as Jose Posada’s, which were influenced directly by Mexican culture. These countries also had individual views on the “outside” world, as suggested by Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez in A Hundred Years of Solitude. As is evident through history, Latin American countries did share some similarities - a search for identity and individualism,

The Latin American Student Association, or LASA, is the club on campus that promotes Latin American Culture here at St. Cloud State University. When I found them at mainstreet I was really surprised they were such a large club. Coming into school, I didn’t expect to find such a large community of Latin Americans. Let alone a whole club. Coming from a state where Latin culture is almost integrated into everyday life, it was a big shift to come up here. Having a club like LASA helps me not only to connect to my culture and keep it alive while I’m at school. It also allows me to keep a slice of home with me. Going to meetings, it feels like a family gathering because we all can relate to one another in some way.

A culture is a porous entity, composed of both tangible and intangible elements. Every country seeks to possess a culture that is unique unto itself. A culture that is recognized and respected the world over. But due to the permeability, cultures cannot be solely confined to any one particular territory or region, any more than they can remain static. They flow and transform across borders and decades, altering and being altered by the already established culture. One example of this interweaving is the cultural exchange that occurred between the United States and Argentina during the early to mid-1900s. This new cultural form for both Argentina and the U.S. involved varied means and expressions. Prominently seen in the area of music and films,

“No mama coño there are no more damn ties that match with this shirt!” I immediately answered back to my mom, annoyed. How could that possibly happen to me? I was not allowed to go and the sun was already going down. Out of all the nights it had to be that one. My short temper caused me to get in trouble with my mom and all I had to do was find a tie that matched the shirt. I truly believed I would have ended surely staying home and missing out my friend’s quinces. It was all I was looking forward to since i found out i was invited. Even though I was really excited it wasn’t because it was my friend’s fiesta de quinceañera but because someone really special was invited, someone that I would have never guessed would have affected my life so much. Well anyways, how can it happen I had no idea but it did, tragically the unavoidable occurred. It 's quiet average from that age after all I was only 15, to fall in love with someone again. Do I believe in love in first sight? Well sometimes it only depends on how amazing the significant other is or how foolish you are yourself. Nothing horrifying can happen if you truly like someone especially when you left that person for someone else in the 6th grade and that someone else left you for someone else. Well it really just ruins you makes you forget about the equilibrium of life, or what’s the good and bad. Becoming a new self-being, you are who you want to be. You are yourself, creating a different point of view on everything mostly