Quinceanera
It has been known that when girls, as well as boys reach a certain age they
make a transition from childhood to adulthood. This type of transition may also be
called a right of passage, which signifies a person is ready to move into a new
stage in their lives. These rites of passages are given special titles that have an
enormous symbolic meaning per culture. For example, according to Mary
D.Lankford in her book A Latina's Journey to Womanhood, she talks about the
right of passage for a thirteen year old jewish boy which is called bar mitzvah
and the similar right of passage for the jewish girl called the bat mitzvah. Another
widely celebrated right of passage by Latino families around the world is the
Quinceanera.
A Quinceanera is the celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday. Mary
D.Lankford says:
"After the Spanish conquered the Aztecs in 1521, the
traditions of their Catholic religion meshed with the initiation
rites of the Aztecs. As these rites continued to develop, the
age of fifteen marked a time of decision for young women".
This is where Quinceanera originated and became a special occasion. The
difference between a Quinceanera and any other birthday party is that it is
fancier and you invite more people. Planning for a Quinceanera takes about a
year. The girl celebrating has to do many things during the year to prepare for
this celebration. She has to pick a partner which is known as an escort, along
with a court of honor, which is fourteen couples each representing one year of
It was the time of year to celebrate Tet, Vietnamese New Year, and Que had spent all her
Metter, Bert, and Joan Reilly. Bar mitzvah, bat mitzvah: the ceremony, the party, and how the day came to be. New York: Clarion Books, 2007. Print.
What is the difference between a book and a Quinceañera? While the first thought might be “a lot,” in actuality, they are very similar. A book changes in appearance over time, but the message inside stays the same; likewise, just as a quinceañera may change physically over time, the meaning and purpose has stayed constant throughout the ages. Some might argue that quinceañeras are not different than other rites of passages; however, because quinceañeras embrace gender norms, encourage catholic religious practice, and establish cultural identity, they build self-identity the most.
This event is celebrated differently by many diverse cultures, and as time goes by, some of the traditions change. Even though the traditions may alter, the whole point of this eventful activity stays the same. The point of this event is to recognize the young lady’s transition from childhood to womanhood. This is also known as “the coming of age.” On this one day, it’s all about the girl, nothing else matters!
Very little clothing is required. There is very little pressure, very little rush, and very little reminiscent of the world. The Cancun area is undeniably a fabulous place to take a vacation. It has luxurious hotels, exciting activities, and mysterious sightseeing tours.
The Jewish coming of age ritual, Bar Mitzvah, means “Son of Commandment” and is exclusive for the boy. In reform synagogues, a boy becomes a Bar Mitzvah on his 13th birthday and this is usually acknowledged in the form of a ceremony. However, some Jewish boys do not have a Bar Mitzvah celebration because the family may be too poor or do not belong to a synagogue (Bar Mitzvah, 2016). In this case, the boy automatically become a Bar Mitzvah upon reaching the age of 13. No ceremony is required to confer these rights and obligations. (Tracey T.R, 2011)
She has to pick her dress, her theme, the church, the damas, the chambelanes, the padrinos, and many other details to make the day perfect. The celebration of the quinceanera began with a church service, or mass, to thank God for all the blessing he has given to her throughout the year and to let her live many more. The quinceanera has five padrinos for the church and they present her with gifts. The first gave her a medal which symbolizes her promotion of faith. Another gave her a rosary which represents instruction and reflection. The third padrino gave her a ring to show the commitment to follow God’s path. She also received a crown which represents honor and responsibility. The last gift was a bouquet of artificial flowers arranged to represent new life. The young quinceanera is usually accompanied by a close group of friends called damas and chambelanes or men and maids of honor. This honor court consisted of fourteen damas and fifteen chambelanes, including the honor chambelane which was her brother, but could have also been a boy she likes. These were the quinceanera friends, cousins, brothers, and sisters. Everyone is dressed formally, and the scene closely resembles a wedding. The quinceanera wore something that stands her out above the rest, a ball gown with many jewels hanging from her gown. The mass was held in the family church and the ceremony is a reaffirmation of the
The bride is then assisted in adorning herself for the public ceremony which begins with a feast at the family’s home.
One of the most notorious observations was that not all people age the same way, and that chronological ...
This celebration is usually notable for Catholic girls who have turned 15 years’ old and symbolizes when a girl becomes a woman. This celebration sort of resembles a wedding especially in the amount of time planning it and the expenses that go in to make the celebration possible. I’m very familiar with this celebration and attended a couple of them myself. This celebration definitely establishes the idea of being feminine and being a female in this culture. In the article La Quinceanera: Making Gender and Ethnic Identities by Karen Mary Davalos, she describes the events that occur in this celebration and relates them back to how these events construct a female gender identity. Its start with the quinceanera and her family attending church to receive the priest blessing in the girls’ coming of age. Davalos describes the interaction that occurs between the priest and the family “Church officials emphasize the role the quinceanera plays in bringing people to the church and in teaching gender roles and cultural traditions. Through the quinceanera, Catholic priests provide instruction to parents on how to educate their daughters about gender roles, "female" behavior, and sexuality.” (Davalos, 8). In the church, priest encourages the women to be submissive as well as remain pure until
The birthday girl arrives in a fancy full-length dress. Flanked by her parents and padrinos (godparents), she is specially seated at the foot of the altar throughout the service. She may be accompanied by up to seven damas and chambelanes, selected from among close family and friends. Families usually rent banquet halls for the dance, while village folks are more inclined to set up rented folding tables and chairs in a freshly cleared and swept a yard or orchard. To cover the multiple expenses, a host of padrinos and madrinas may be invited to sponsor, respectively, the dress, the music, the locale, the bar, the cake and the table favors. Once the party starts it is custom for the birthday girl to be introduced and walk around flanked by her parents. Symbolizing her entrance into adulthood. One of the final rituals of a Quinceañera is the changing of the quince girl’s shoes. The father will remove the flat-soled slippers his daughter wore to the party and replace them with a pair of heels. Thus, the 15-year-old who sashayed into the Quinceañera as a girl will stride out and back home as a young
All birthdays are special. Birthdays celebrate life and the passing of time. In a young Mexican girl life, there is no birthday more important then her quinceañera. The quinceañera is a celebration of a girl’s journey into womanhood. The story of my fifteenth birthday is contributed for a better understanding of how special it is to celebrate a girl’s transformation into a lady, and how it differs from any other birthday she celebrates.
According to the MyJewishLearning webpage, preparations for this event often begin a year in advance with the candidate learning about the religion and families making preparations for those who are going to attend, and culminate in the candidate reading from the Torah, and delivering readings and prayers. After completing this, the young candidate is thrown a celebration as an acceptance into the Jewish religion. This compares with two of my examples, but not becoming a camp counselor. When you are confirmed you must learn about the history of the Christian religion, and go into in depth studies of various events, individuals, and traditions. This culminates in the Bishop recognizing you as confirmed, and acceptance into the Church community. In the Order of the Arrow you must prepare, however instead of a year, the preparation lasts for a day of intense work and learning values. You are received as a member of the Order of the Arrow in a celebration of those who have also achieved the honor. However, becoming a camp counselor differs from a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. You choose to become a counselor based on the idea that you can recreate a similar or better experience for future campers. There is also no celebration for becoming a counselor, you choose to take upon the responsibilities, without expecting commendation or
This process is a repetitive event given to our parents when they were siblings. What are you trying to say? As we grow older, our scripts change with different experiences and exposure of peer influence. Young boys pressuring other boys in being sexually active, while they mask their ignorance and experience. The media influence is additional form that factors in our sexual choices and behavior. Rebecca Collins, a social psychologist, found that both gender teenagers are affected by sexual content on television common in prime-time programming. Sexual scripts become a vital instrument during our search for a partner. The scripts determine the type of person we seek beginning with autoeroticism. Fantasizing during puberty explores erotic dreams and masturbation in turn defines the type of
Perhaps one of the most well-known traditions of the Jewish faith is the celebration of a young man’s Bar Mitzvah. The ceremony began as a graduation for a schoolboy who had completed his religious education. The focus of study was typically the Hebrew Bible along with other Jewish literature, history, customs and ceremonies (Oxtoby and Segal 110-111). Today, the ceremony is often known as a coming of age celebration for 13-year-olds. During the festivity, the young man reads scripture from the Torah for the first time aloud and may also chant from one of the Torah scrolls (Oxtoby and Segal 61). This significant Jewish tradition is now also widely celebrated for young girls as well, known by the name as a ‘bat mitzvah’.