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The Quinceañera or Quince Años (sometimes represented XV Años, meaning "fifteen years") is, in some Spanish-speaking regions of the Americas, a young woman's celebration of her fifteenth birthday, which is commemorated in a unique and different way from her other birthdays.

Besides referring to the actual festivities, the word is also used to refer to the young woman whose 15th birthday is being celebrated (analogous to the word cumpleañera for "birthday girl"). The closest equivalents to the Quinceañera in the English-speaking world are the sweet sixteen, cotillion, or, in more affluent communities, the debutante ball for those who turn eighteen.

History

There are several different theories as to the origin of this celebration; the most common theory is that the Quinceañera was the result of a blending of mostly religious traditions from both Spanish conquerors and the native people of Mexico. Specifically, this celebration contains elements of the coming of age traditions and Mexican ceremonies, along with elements from Spanish culture. The Quinceañera resembles and probably gets its name from a 16th-century Spanish tradition of presenting one's 15-year-old daughter to society. Over time, as the natives were converted to Catholicism by Spanish missionaries, they also began to emulate some of the practices of the Spanish.

Puerto Rico

At a Quinceañera the party girl is accompanied by her relatives and friends. They join her for a religious ceremony and then for the party. When the girl goes to mass, she traditionally sits in a Peacock Chair covered in flowers such as a Rose or a Poppy.

Cuba

The custom entered the country partly due to Spanish influence, but more so because of the French influence. Wealthy families, who could afford to rent luxurious halls at country clubs or 4/5-star hotels and to hire choreographers, were the actual pioneers of Quinceañeras. Although lower-income families could not afford the same display of wealth, they too started to celebrate Quinceañeras, which they called Quinces. Those celebrations usually took place at the home of the Quinceañera or at the more spacious house of a relative. Quinceañeras were very popular in Cuba until the late 1970s, yet the practice is still relatively common today.

In Cuba the Quinceañera is often considered to be one of the most important days of a young woman's life because it officially marks the transition from child to adult. Usually the quinceañera wears a big white dress.

Peru

In Peru, the parties may vary depending on many factors such as the socioeconomic level of the family. The party is generally a formal dress occasion. Usually the quinceañera descends a staircase as music plays, after which she will dance a waltz with her father, godfather or grandfather.

Spain

In higher social circles, though, some girls have something called Puesta de Largo, which is an introduction or presentation to the relatives or friends of her family as a woman. Most wealthy families throw huge parties to celebrate the beginning of their daughter's womanhood. In this tradition there are 15 couples and this dance is led by the girl's boyfriend.

El Salvador

In El Salvador, these parties are called the Fiesta Rosa, at which the color of the birthday girl's dress is a rose pink ("rosa" in Spanish). When a young Salvadoran woman turns 15, she is welcomed into womanhood with a large ceremony. This Quinceañera is where all her friends and relatives gather to celebrate the fact that she is on the brink of womanhood. The young lady is dressed to resemble a mini bride, starting with a white dress. During this part of the evening, she has the first dance with her father. There are three steps to the ceremony: first the separation from her parents when she must blow out her candles or accept her flowers, then the transitional state, where she is no longer an adolescent, but not yet a full woman (the pink dress), and finally the emergence to womanhood, during which part of the evening she may wear a red dress.

United States

Because of the large population of Latino people in all areas of the United States, the Quinceañera celebration is becoming common. However, the way that it is celebrated can differ greatly depending on location, family tradition, and religion.

In California, it is often the practice for many family members or Padrinos (godparents) to contribute funds for this special day. The Padrinos may be asked to provide for the quinceañera's dress, shoes, centerpieces, cost for the hall, alcoholic beverages or other various items that are essential for a Quinceañera.

There are some traditions that seem to be practiced almost everywhere like the changing of the shoes, the first dance, and the quinceañera traditionally being dressed in a ball gown. However, all other aspects of the Quinceañera have become subject to the young girl and her family wishes. Some families celebrate the Quinceañera just as one big party. For other families, though, it is a deeply religious event and the young lady needs to have maintained a certain standard of modesty and behavior to be given the privilege of having a Quinceañera.

Until recently, there has been lacking a formal ritual for Quinceañeras for use within the U.S. Roman Catholic Church; priests and deacons have been left to adapt liturgies to the needs of the celebration. In 2007 the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a formal ritual, approved by the Vatican, to be used in the context of Eucharistic liturgies, with adaptations for Liturgies of the Word.

References

1. [http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/Quinceanera.pdf Order for the Blessing on the Fifteenth Birthday], United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, August 7 2007. Retrieved February 18 2008.

External links

• YourQuinces.com First Stop For All Quinceañeras]
• Roman Catholic Ritual for Quinceañeras from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

• Articles lacking sources from October 2007
• Birthdays