There are many geezerhood that are a big deal : 13 when you officially become a adolescent , 16 when you may ram , 21 when you may drink in lawfully in the United States . For many girls across Latin America and the United States , turning 15 is a crusade for celebration — and family go all out , typically with aquinceañera .
What Is a Quinceañera?
In Latin culture , a quinceañera is generally a two - part solemnization of a young daughter ’s 15th birthday or " Sweet 15 . " It symbolizes her passage from childhood to young adulthood .
draw from Indigenous and European ethnic traditions , the festivities set about in church ( though not all young women choose to share in this part ) , where the girl receives a approval from a non-Christian priest , and then end with a braggart bash , where the honoree dances with her father .
She and her court ofchambelanes(the name for the young men in her party ) anddamas(the young women ) also perform choreographed dances for the other invitee . The chambelanes and damas might be the quinceañera ’s closest friends and family members .
The natal day girl and her royal court , who wear matching rig , expend workweek or even month before the event preparing for the big day .
Cost of a Quinceañera Celebration
Quinceañeras have become increasingly opulent occasion in recent age . Parents may spend more on their daughters ' quinces than their weddings , which is why some refer to them asmini bodas , or miniature weddings .
Not counting the birthday presents a new girl might meet , a quinceañera in the United States ( with all the trim ) can easily cost $ 10,000.A 2019 reportput the fair cost at $ 21,781 .
One look at a quinceañera on her special day , and the high price ticket makes sentiency .
Then , there ’s the actual event . standardized to a wedding party , many of these affairs offer a sit around - down meal and an open bar for the adults in attending . The birthday miss ’s family might also choose to pay for haircloth and makeup for the damas .
And with the photograph shoot that a quinceañera might take to mark the juncture , it ’s no admiration families can gouge up costs .
Quinceañeras Traditions
The prom - like nightdress may be the central quinceañera custom , but it is n’t the only fancy dress featured in the solemnization . Quinceañera impost calls for 14 damas to accompany the quinceañera honoree and symbolize the past 14 years of her sprightliness . And of row , a mathematical group of vernal maid needs a corresponding set of escorts , which means she must also pick out 15 chambelanes ( including one for herself ) .
The first catch during a quinceañera is the church , where a quince girl must receive a particular blessing from the priest and send herself to protecting her virginity and spiritual devotion . There , she will also leave a bouquet of bloom at the communion table or near a statue of the Virgin Mary to further represent her innocence .
Symbolically abandoning her childhood and becoming a cleaning woman , a quinceañera gives away a porcelain doll ( although some quince bush celebrations might substitute a glut brute or another childhood trinket ) to a new sister or female congeneric .
Once the quinceañera spate concludes , a more typical birthday company ensues . What happens during the remainder of the quinceañera mostly bet on the parent ' budget . In many families , congenator and residential area members vend in , acting aspadrinos(godfathers ) andmadrinas(godmothers ) , to finance the issue .
Business possessor and nonprofits chemical group in Mexico City patronize annual city - all-encompassing quinceañeras to admit miss from low - income families to enjoy the special rite afford to wealthier Mexicans [ source : Llana ] .
One of the final rite of a quinceañera is the changing of the Cydonia oblonga girl ’s shoes . After the feeding , drinking and dance , the quince bush girl ’s forefather will remove the straight - soled slippers or skid his girl wore to the political party and replace them with a twain of high heel .
Thus , the 15 - yr - quondam who sidle into the quinceañera as a girl will stride out and back home as a young charwoman .
History of the Quinceañera
The pedigree of quinceañera celebration are unclear , but one possibility is that it originated with the Aztecs , who considered girlsmarriage - ready at 15 . As a outcome , they went through ceremonial rite of transit that admit paternal speeches beseeching their teenage daughters to become saucy , upstandingwomen .
Then the Spanish encroach upon modern - day Mexico and overturn the Aztecs in the 1520s , bring their European influence to the autochthonous citizenry . The upper - family deb aspects of quinceañera likely emerge as a resultant of that [ source : Alvarez ] .
The quinceañera as we know it today — fete by thousands of girls around Latin America and the estimated 525,000 Latinx girls who wrick 15 every yr in the U.S. — did n’t become ingrained in the Hispanic cultural framework until lately .
Prior to the 1960s , quinceañeras were occasions reserved for the upper class . As more Latinos have immigrate to the U.S. and their community have assimilate into American companionship , quinceañeras have spread across all rung of socioeconomic classes as a newfound verbal expression of ethnic superbia both in the United States and Latin America .
In the same way that American rites and customs easily traverse state lines , quinceañeras have also become a shared tradition throughout Latin America . In this way , these Sweet XV have become as much a style to commemorate the past as lionize the future .
The growing popularity of quinceañeras has n’t always sat well with the Catholic Church , however . A quince girl ’s public commitment of faith is an integral part of the upshot , but the surround raiment has threatened to completely overshadow any spiritual spirit , especially as quinceañera budget often balloon beyond $ 45,000 [ source : Plummer ] .
In 1990 , the Los Angeles Archdiocese issued rigid guidelines for countenance quinceañera masses , let in rules that attempt to confine the sizing of the quinceañera party at mass and leave priests to bless multiple quince girl at once since the parties were beginning to constrain the identification number of weddings and baptisms churches could do [ source : Legon ] .
But even the protest of priest have n’t stopped the gallant of Sweet 15s . The quinceañera industry now tops $ 11 billion in the United States , which make sensation since — in increase to invitations , venues , cake and potable — these natal day occasion naturally revolve around gift galore [ origin : Quinceañera Report ] .
Quinceañeras Gifts and Meanings
From deliver the last doll ( última muñeca ) during the Catholic mickle to the horseshoe ceremony before the final father - daughter dance afterward , the quinceañera is full of symbolic gestures and gifts .
Unlike the average birthday party that the quinceañera might ’ve enjoyed for the prior 14 long time , her 15th extravaganza officially marks her coming of historic period , and therefore requires appropriate gifts and apparel to carry her through that transition .
Often , the quinceañera itself is the present for the birthday girl , rather than a bounty of roll packages . Parents who can afford cock-a-hoop - budget parties may give their girl aregalo sorpresa , or storm endowment , but the emphasis of traditional quinceañera nowadays — including the appeal book , rosary and Bible needed for mass — is on what the quince little girl will wear and carry to her ceremonial occasion .
A combination of grandparent , other relatives and supporter may gift them these item , and each of them carry a peculiar meaning :
In a agency , quinceañeras are more of a giant endowment to the invited client than to the birthday girl . After the ceremonial mass , a quinceañera solemnization migrates to a reception with food for thought , beverage and lively music for attendees .
While they ’re there to help receive the quince bush miss into adulthood , guest also receive particular keepsakes . Families hand out decorated champagne flutes for a pledge to the quince girl ’s succeeding pleasure . Tokens calledcápiasorcerámicasmay sport the birthday girl ’s name and particular date as a souvenir for guests as well .
Not every quinceañera follows all these custom . Some girls omit the church service ceremony . Others opt for a pastel gown rather than a white one . A girl may choose to eschew the traditional waltz for a choreographed reggaeton turn or she may alternatively resolve to trip the light fantastic toe with her mom . The parents may pass the money on a birthday sail or a cable car for their girl rather than a lavish company .
And some girls , for financial or other reasons , just have a little get - together at home and take picture in their Cydonia oblonga dresses [ informant : Plummer ] .
Though the rite of passage may vary from Puerto Rico to Panama to Palo Alto , the substance of the quinceañera remains constant . Whether lavish or low - cay , these over-the-top Sweet 15 fiestas take into account young girls to become fairy story princesses for a day on their way to becoming full - grown cleaning lady .
