Marking the Passage of Time
It is natural for us to mark the passage of time for our children. From their first tooth to the day that they graduate from high school or college, we celebrate the times that mark milestones in their lives.
And there are special birthdays that are a great celebrations.
I think pretty much all of us know of the sweet sixteen. This past year I learned about the “golden birthday”, the day that you turn the same age as the day that you were born. But it wasn’t until recently that I heard of the Quinceanera.
Much like the Sweet-Sixteen, those of Latin American descent celebrate the fifteenth birthday for their young ladies with a series of traditions:
- The changing of the shoes
- The first dance
- The traditional Quince Gown
The website Quinceanera provides information and a resource to find out all the things you would need to have a Quinceanera party of your own.
The site does a good job of presenting all areas of this special event. There is a special section for Quinceanera Dresses that you can choose from—but expect them all to be of the typical prom fair, and expect to do a little hunting for a modest dress. It seems like white is a fairly typical color, and you could easily tie this in to the same idea as white on a bride’s dress—signaling purity. Along with dresses that can be purchased at the site, there is a list of dresses from other shops.
When it comes to accessories you can get everything from pillows to shoes, and there’s a whole list of tiaras and amusing scepters. I believe the idea is princess for a day!
One of the neat things is that when you look at the gifts, there’s a distinct Christian flavor to the event—with prayer books, cross earrings, etc. for gifts.
The site finishes out with information on Quinceanera Invitations, Decorations, Music, Cooking, and Themes. It really is a one stop site for information on this special time.
So, if you have someone planning a Quinceanera, or you’re just interested in learning more about a growing culture in America, check out this site!
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Comments from MInTheGap
AG said,
Wrote on June 23, 2008 @ 10:26 am Subscribed
MIn, you rock. Hubby’s hispanic, but his family never kept hispanic customs when raising he and his sister. When we have kids, he wants to bring a little more of his heritage into our family traditions. He especially wants to have Quinceaneras for all of our girls. That’s intimidated me, as I have no idea what one is like and I know it’d end up being me who would plan it. Since we’re not parents yet, it’ll be a while until we get to do a Quinceanera, but it’s good to know resources like this are out there.
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