The Day Of Her Forever Dreamed Of Quinceanera

Everything had began magnificently the day I attended the renaissance fair. It was the first time I’d ever been to any festival of the sort, and the air was full of magic. At exactly 10:30 in the morning, the ceremony began. The King and Queen presented themselves atop the castle’s balcony to address their people. As the beautiful royals welcomed us into their kingdom, my heart beat erratically, and I crossed the threshold with my breath held. There were so many events that I wanted to see, and activities I wanted to try; I couldn’t wait to get inside. I wasn’t just an ordinary guest, however, I had a job to do. Carrying my instrument lightly with one hand, dressed as a princess and feeling important, I walked proudly through the bustling

John often use quotes to repeat the exact words of the people they interview without misrepresenting what they say. For example, when she interviews Sanchez, Vanessa’s mother: “‘Really for us, it’s a tradition,’ … ‘It means that you’ve started a new phase of your life.’” This briefly shows exactly what a quince means to her, without the interference of a misinterpretation from the author if it were not a direct quote. Additionally, a segment from Tornoe shows what the hosting of quince might mean in terms of class and wealth to an outsider of the culture: “If you are from humble beginnings, to a certain degree, it’s a status sign to be able to pay for a quinceanera.”. St. John’s purposeful use of quotes allows the reader to hear actual perspectives from people involved with quinceaneras. In print, we are able to hear people’s voices and the multiple ways a quinceañera is perceived and

. 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

Most people, especially girls shop for an outstanding birthday outfit to wear. No other wardrobe can relate to what you wear for your quinceañera. It is the only birthday where a Mexican girl could actually feel like a princess. She wears a beautiful crown covered in rhinestones that essentials her up do with a gorgeous scepter that contributes to the tiara. Her dress is what makes her the starlight of the night. It is big and puffy as a “Cinderella dress” embracing her figure. There is not another birthday that it is usual for a girl to wear what a quinceanera wears, and that is what makes the night distinctive from any another birthday.

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.

In Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, North and South America, quinceaneras is a custom for girls which allow them to celebrate their 15th birthday. The celebration starts with a ceremony and then its continued with a reception at home or a banquet hall ( The Quinceanera Tradition). The guests that attend include the girl's family and close friends of all ages. It's traditional for the Quinceanera to have a court with people who she is close too like her cousins, sisters, brothers or very close friends. It can be a combination of all girls and boys or only girls or only boys. It’s normally traditional for the Quinceanera to receive a tiara, a medal, a bible or prayer book and rosary, and a scepter. Other accessories for this special occasion might be: Flower Bouquet, Cake Decoration, Cake server set, Champagne glasses, The last doll, Guest book, Photo album, Invitations/reception cards, Ceremony pillows and guest favors ( The Quinceanera Tradition). There's a very important event with the father or favorite male relative that changes the Quinceaneraś flat shoes to her high heels. This is an amazing way to symbolize the transformation of a little girl to a young

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

My mom walked in my room to wake me up. She shook and shook me trying to wake me up. I didn't want to wake up Because I was very tired.

In Mexican communities, the quinceañera honors the birthday girl for her maturity, and also honors the girl’s parents and family, as well as her padrinos or godparents. The godparents, and her mother and father have important roles during the ceremonies. Many cultures have rituals representing the journey to adulthood for both women and men, but the quinceañera is extremely unique.

In Mexico, my mother never had her Quinceanera because of her family’s socioeconomic status, so she saved up enough money with my dad to guarantee I lived the dream she never experienced. When I was five years old, my mom hosted a mini-Quinceanera, making sure I fluttered around in a blue, long dress and danced with the boys of my preschool class. A Quinceanera has four components: the big dress every Hispanic girl dreams to be in, a big salon the Quinceanera dances in, the court of honor, and of course the overall significance of the Hispanic teenager becoming a woman. Ten years later, I fluttered around my red, bigger and longer dress, with small pearls on my corset. At the end of the night, my father placed heels on my feet to represent

A white chair was pulled out into the middle of the dance floor, and everyone gathered around her as Sophia and her father performed the traditional Shoe Ceremony. The Shoe Ceremony consists of the Quinceanera’s father taking off her flat shoes and replacing them with high heels. The heels signify her growing up from a child; from needing help to walk to being able to stand on her own as a young woman. Sophia’s father proceeded to remove her black, Converse tennis shoes and replace them with 3” high heels, bedazzled with rhinestones. She then walked into her father’s open arms, and shared her first dance as a young woman with him. In doing so, Sophia signified that the most important man in her life, other than God, was always going to be her father. As a part of this first dance, both of her Grandfathers took a turn dancing with her, where they expressed their love for the newest young woman in their family. Watching them dance was my favorite part of the entire evening. It reminded me of dancing with my own great-grandfather (now deceased) at my uncle’s wedding. It was beautiful seeing how proud her grandfathers were of Sophia and admiring the person she had become. She was no longer just a little girl; she was a young

Traditionally, Beltane is the time for vows, handfastings, and commitments. Other traditions for Beltane are wrapping the Maypole with ribbons and dancing around it, jumping the bonfire or balefire, blowing horns and gathering flowers. It is taboo to give away food or fire on Beltane. From the White Goddess website, “ The Lord and his Lady, having reached maturity, come together in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust to celebrate the joy of their union. This is a time to celebrate the coming together of the masculine and feminine creative energies.” This is a perfect sentence to explain Beltane, having reached maturity, has no age on it, just that they are mature enough to make that decision. Some of us will mature at 16 years of age while others it may be 30 years of age before the same maturity is seen. Beltane is the day in my own marriage that I reaffirm the vows I made to my own husband. [This is a second marriage for both of us and we are a blended family, so we have had our share of upheavals and obstacles. Beltane is my day to really remember and celebrate why we got married in the first place. This coming March we will have our 10th wedding anniversary and I can not imagine a

I was dressed as if I was preparing for the whole world to see me. In a way, I was. The Shadow Kingdom would see me this evening, and they were to see a beautiful Crown Princess. My hair was down in luxurious waves that softly cascaded down my back. My dress was on a whole other level of beautiful.