The Quinceañera Tradition
The Quinceañera is a Spanish tradition celebrating a girl’s transition from childhood to adulthood. It was celebrated by the Aztecs, but later became Christianized and is now celebrated by many Catholic Hispanic families.
The Quinceañera is prepared a year before the actual date. The girl or Quinceañera chooses 14 other girls to be in her court as well as escorts for each of the girls. These girls (aka damas) symbolize the 14 years of her childhood life, where the 15th girl is the Quinceañera. The damas wear dresses based on the Quinceañera's choosing and the escorts (aka chambelans) wear black tuxedos. Couples are paired and meet often to practice the traditional Spanish waltz for the coming date.
Once the day arrives, everyone makes their way to the church in which a mass is held. The Quinceañera renews her baptismal vows and her parents give thanks towards their daughter’s new adulthood life. When the Quinceañera kneels at the altar, the priest blesses her as a newcomer to adulthood at the church. She then receives a medal of her saint, a birthstone ring, a crown and flowers, all of which are representations of the Quinceañera's new adulthood life.
After the mass, dinner is served and the festivities begin in which many traditions are done. One tradition is where, the Quinceañera hands her old doll she used as a child to another young girl, preferably her sister, to represent the entry into womanhood. Another tradition is when the Quinceañera takes off her flat shoes and puts on high-heel shoes. This represents stepping into womanhood. There is also the traditional Spanish waltz that is done, however some dances have been changed to suit the Quinceañera's liking. All these traditions stay the same, but the Quinceañera tradition has been tweaked throughout the years to make sure that the Quinceañera has one of the greatest days of her life.
The Quinceañera is prepared a year before the actual date. The girl or Quinceañera chooses 14 other girls to be in her court as well as escorts for each of the girls. These girls (aka damas) symbolize the 14 years of her childhood life, where the 15th girl is the Quinceañera. The damas wear dresses based on the Quinceañera's choosing and the escorts (aka chambelans) wear black tuxedos. Couples are paired and meet often to practice the traditional Spanish waltz for the coming date.
Once the day arrives, everyone makes their way to the church in which a mass is held. The Quinceañera renews her baptismal vows and her parents give thanks towards their daughter’s new adulthood life. When the Quinceañera kneels at the altar, the priest blesses her as a newcomer to adulthood at the church. She then receives a medal of her saint, a birthstone ring, a crown and flowers, all of which are representations of the Quinceañera's new adulthood life.
After the mass, dinner is served and the festivities begin in which many traditions are done. One tradition is where, the Quinceañera hands her old doll she used as a child to another young girl, preferably her sister, to represent the entry into womanhood. Another tradition is when the Quinceañera takes off her flat shoes and puts on high-heel shoes. This represents stepping into womanhood. There is also the traditional Spanish waltz that is done, however some dances have been changed to suit the Quinceañera's liking. All these traditions stay the same, but the Quinceañera tradition has been tweaked throughout the years to make sure that the Quinceañera has one of the greatest days of her life.
Works Cited
"Tradition & History of Quinceanera." TheRoseDress.Com. Www.TheRoseDress.com, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.
"Tradition & History of Quinceanera." TheRoseDress.Com. Www.TheRoseDress.com, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.