Quinceañera Celebrations: Traditions Across Latin America
The Quinceañera, sometimes also called Fiesta Quinceañera or simply quince, is a celebration of a girl’s fifteenth birthday in parts of Latin America. It is a significant event, different from other birthdays. The word quinceañera also refers to the girl who is celebrating her fifteenth birthday.
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Celebration
The celebration marks the transition from girl to woman. It serves as a way to recognize that the girl has reached maturity. The celebration varies widely across countries. In the Dominican Republic, for example, the festival focuses on the Debutante Ball.
Argentina
In Argentina, the party begins with the arrival of the teenager, wearing a dress, usually accompanied by her father. She makes a special entrance through the front door with music, and friends or relatives give her flowers (usually roses). Then begins the waltz, in which the girl dances with all her friends and relatives.
Usually, the dance is divided into batches, interspersed with the serving of dishes.
The organization is usually as follows:
- Entrance, usually accompanied by slow songs
- Waltz
- Entry (Plato)
- First batch of dance
- Main course
- Second round dance
- Dessert and video playback of the recorded birthday with her friends (Optional)
- Ceremony of 15 candles (Optional)
- Third round dance
- Toast, Cake Cutting, Tapes
- Carnaval Carioca (Optional: can also be a batucada)
- Final holiday breakfast or pizza with beer
The ceremony of the 15 candles
This ceremony involves the birthday girl giving fifteen candles to people who are most important in her life. It is often accompanied by a speech, usually dedicated to each of the people receiving this award.
This very special ceremony is also known as the ceremony of the Tree of Life. The 15 candles symbolize the 15 years that have passed. Each of the candles symbolizes a special memory, a moment shared with a person who is invited to join the ritual. In the ceremony of the candles, certain steps must be followed.
Mexico
In Mexico, for this occasion, the quinceañera is made up and coiffed for the occasion, wearing a dress with colors she has chosen. In the Mexican tradition, if the teenager is Catholic, the festival begins with a Mass of Thanksgiving. The teenager presents herself in a formal dress (usually bright, creative, referring to a “princess”) of a color she chose previously (usually pastels or intense). A medal is awarded to her by a godparent, after being blessed, accompanied by her parents and godparents. After Mass, the families and friends of the teenager gather for the party. The quinceañera leaves her bouquet on the altar (optional) to the Virgin Mary. A Mass is followed by a party at the birthday banquet or dining room, casino, or party room, reserved for the occasion. At the party, the quinceañera usually dances some waltzes with her chamberlains. These choreographies usually include 5 parts (optional):
* The input (rehearsed a few weeks or months before)
* The toast (optional) (rehearsed a few weeks or months before). The toast is also done without choreography. In this part of the event, a drink is taken to celebrate the birthday, and sometimes a speech is given by the parents and teenager, and sometimes their sponsors.
* The familiar waltz (which involves relatives and acquaintances of the birthday girl)
* The main waltz (rehearsed a few weeks or months before)
* Any modern song chosen by the quinceañera (rehearsed a few weeks or months before)
Other rituals are also performed, such as the last toy, based on the Mayan tradition. This possession would be the last toy used, because by then their marriage would be close. And also the changing of the shoe, where the teenager’s father changes her shoe to a high heel, which also symbolizes the passage to maturity. After the dinner starts (or before all dances) the party begins with a hired band or DJ. The next morning, the family (close family and friends) attend the “recalentado”, a breakfast of food not consumed on the day of the party, with beer (this part is optional.)
Cuba
In Cuba, the party may include a choreographed group dance, in which 16 couples waltz around the quinceañera. The dance is led by one of the main dancers, a boy of her choice, her boyfriend, and friends. The choreography often includes four or six dancers or escorts called Escorts, who are allowed to dance around the quinceañera. They are usually inexperienced dancers whose function is to highlight the central couple. They are also allowed to wear tuxedos in different colors.
Fifteenth birthday celebrations were very popular in Cuba until the late 70s. This practice partly entered Cuba via Spain, but its greatest influence was French. The wealthy families who could afford to rent expensive dining rooms in private clubs or hotels were the real forerunners of Quinceañeras, which they called Quinces. These celebrations usually took place in the house of the girl or a more spacious home of relatives.
Although this is a tradition that is still practiced today in Latin America and Hispanic communities in North America, we sometimes tend to focus more on the wishes of the quinceañera, for example, to travel the world.
Dominican Republic
In the Dominican Republic, this celebration is very traditional and common. It begins with a Mass in the Catholic Church to receive the blessing of God and give thanks for another year of life. At the birthday party, the quinceañera makes her entrance to the place of the party (usually an estate, a ballroom, a nightclub, hotel, or home of the teenager) accompanied by 14 additional pairs, which together with the teenager’s own, make 15 pairs. Usually, the quinceañera wears a gauzy pastel dress (representing innocence and elegance) and the other couples are dressed in long dresses (ladies) and suits and ties (the young men), which are bright, but never overshadow the birthday girl, who is the protagonist of the celebration. Almost immediately, the quinceañera dances the waltz with her partner, who usually passes her into the hands of her father to finish the waltz.
It is customary for the quinceañera and her escorts to carry out several choreographies, which may include rhythms like merengue, pop, salsa, etc.
It is customary to serve a buffet and some drinks during the celebration. As well as the distribution of souvenirs or memories to the guests, besides the traditional album of signatures in which those invited sign to record their presence at the party.
One of the main attractions in the Dominican Republic is the traditional cake of fifteen years, which is usually a cake of immense size and beauty, with very colorful designs. It is cut shortly after the signing of the album by the quinceañera.
Traditionally, an artist or band participates in the celebration to provide the musical touch.
Venezuela
In Venezuela, the quince begins with the arrival of the teenager accompanied by her father. She is received by her mother and other relatives and friends. Then, father and daughter dance a waltz, and other tunes. Then the quinceañera dances with her brothers (if any) and her uncles and godparents. Then she performs the paso doble and the waltz with all members of the procession (optional dance to any other music, merengue, pop, etc.)
For this occasion, the teenager wears an evening dress in light colors or pastels. She is dressed and made up slightly, usually with a tiara in her hair and jewels on her neck and hands.
All the guests are dressed in formal attire, including the teenager’s friends of the same age.
After the original dance, it begins with a choreographed set up by the teenager and her friends. After that, the festival begins with music from live bands, some famous artist, DJ’s, food, drink, and at one point, the crazy hours are carried out, late into the night.
It is optional to make some surprise dance performed by the quinceañera (alone or accompanied), also a dance that will be given by her friends, cousins, etc.