The Importance of Quinceañeras

Jennifer+Romeros+Quince+in+2001%2C+with+her+group+of+friends

Jennifer Romero’s Quince in 2001, with her group of friends

What is a Quinceanera? 

A Quinceanera is the celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday. It symbolizes the transition from a girl into a woman. It is largely celebrated in Latin America and around the world and is forever engraved in Hispanic culture. Within just a “party” contains years and years of cultural value and importance to Latinos.  

Quinceanera Origins  

Quinceanera comes from a long line of cultural importance, originating in Mexico. Indigenous groups like The Aztecs, the Mayas, the Incas, and the Toltecs would use this ceremony as an introduction to “womanhood.” This would teach and get young girls to get accustomed to certain traditions (depending on the group). Once the preparations were finished, they would then commence the ceremony and treat the Quinceanera as now an important part of the community. Eventually, when the Spaniards conquered and colonized Mexico, they adopted these traditions and added new sentiments to make it their own.  

The Traditions  

The traditions in a Quinceanera are especially important, they are what bring all the symbolism to life. Almost all these practices and standards were formed in the early 1500s and date back to indigenous groups spoken earlier. The most common traditions that are still often celebrated today are: 

The Gown: The gown is particularly important, the dress that the Quinceanera wears is supposed to represent herself from the inside and out. It often stands out with beautiful and elegant stitches, usually being the Quinceanera’s favorite color. The dress itself shows guests and family a glimpse of her personality and her maturity and ability to transition into a young woman. 

The Court: The court that presents the Quinceanera is made up of family and friends with 14 Damas and 14 Chambelanes (modern quinces tend to have smaller courts). Their job is to help escort the Quinceanera into the ceremony with a grand entrance, followed by a choreographed dance called the “surprise dance.”  

From Flats to Heels (The Changing of Shoes): There are multiple ways of embodying the passage of girl to woman. However, one of the most common ways of doing this is The Changing of Shoes. In this tradition the Quinceanera would come out in flat shoes to represent her in a childlike manner, only to be taken by the father/ male relative and seated down to change into heels, illustrating the changeover from girlhood to womanhood. This is done before performing The Waltz. 

The Waltz: The waltz is a dance that is made and practiced to be elegant and graceful. Traditionally the dance is between the father of the Quinceanera and the Quinceanera herself of course, or with a male relative. This dance is a very sentimental one as it captures the pure love between the two. 

Planning a Quinceanera  

Planning a Quinceanera can be incredibly challenging and difficult. In fact, for a roughly 6-hour party months of planning and money are spent making sure that the day turns out to be a special one. There is usually a lot to consider; all the preparations needed to be accounted for, such as the number of guests coming, the venue, the food being served, the music, etc. It can take months of planning for a one-day event. With all the planning comes stress and complications. When asked how it felt knowing that she was in the last stages of planning, Catalina G. (Mother of Quinceanera) stated, “We are so exhausted but so happy that this is almost over. People don’t really recognize how hard it is to plan something like this. I want to give my daughter the world and the best party and if it means having to go through all this, I’d be fine with that.” Despite all the hurdles and obstacles, knowing that this will be worth it is enough to continue. 

The Past vs The Present 

Back in the day, Quinceaneras were astonishingly different from how they are now. Over time Quinceaneras have become more modern and inclusive in it’s customs. Quinceaneras used to be a more religious practice and celebration, it’s still celebrated of course in the Catholic Church. However, they have grown to be more fit to a girl’s beliefs, budget, and overall personality. In Daniela Romero’s perspective, she exclaims, “The Quinceaneras they’re having now is such a shock considering how the ones I experienced and how my own Quince went. I barely had any freedom over any of it, all controlled by my parents. I didn’t want to have one, although thinking back I did have a fun time. But watching those girls experience what I couldn’t healed my inner child, the girl who wanted something that wasn’t expected of her”. Daniela puts in perfect words how most girls felt back then when the ability to do something how they wanted was limited especially on important events like a Quinceanera.

Nowadays Quinceaneras allows young girls to feel like themselves and show that self to family and friends. Freedom is unlimited with new choices. For instance, it is now deemed “socially acceptable” to either have a new style of dress, or play new music that really defines the quinceanera and not music picked out for her, new traditions for future generations to use and cherish. Salome Caicedo (Junior) explains what her Quince was like, “It was one of the best things I’ve ever decided to do, it was so much and I wish I could relive it. My parents always told me how lucky I was that it wasn’t how it was back then and honestly, I agree I had the best nights of my life.” This shows how the difference is evident in both cases, what it was like back then and how Quinceaneras has grown to be more accepting.

All things considered, Quinceaneras continue to be an important mark in girls’ life and a crucial part of Hispanic culture all over the world. It brings family and friends together to celebrate the coming of age of a 15-year-old entering adulthood. It represents who we are and where we came from. It symbolizes the love and care a family has for a soon-to-be young woman. Nothing will ever be as important to family then a Quinceanera.