While the Aztec Indians still existed their culture would prepare 15-year-old girls for marriage. This tradition is aimed to celebrate young girls when they are turning into women. It is a mix of celebrating birthday and tradition. Mexican/Hispanic culture is known for having these extreme parties named Quinceañeras also called quinces. It is like a sweet 16 with a religious connection. This popular tradition happens all over the world, including Wisconsin.
It happened to me, and I value this tradition. I want to explain my quince because it was a special day with family and friends!
If the Quinceañera is planning to rent a place she can make deposits because the venues are usually costly. The most popular area in Fox Cities for these types of parties takes place at Waverly Beach.
One thing that is important when having a quince is going to church for a religious ceremony. The church can be Catholic, Christian, or non-denominational. The belief is to receive blessings and faith; the girl commits herself to God. When entering the church, the Quinceañera will enter with her court, family and godparents. Typically, the godparents will help the Quinceañera pay for her event. A court is a small group of people that trust and value the Quinceañera. The court can include boys and girls. A Quinceañeras court according to Sepan, means ¨Close members of the girl’s circle who celebrate her as she makes her passage from girlhood to womanhood, supporting her hopes and dreams in her life.¨
When everyone arrives and finishes eating their food, the godparents and Quinceañeras guardians could start by giving the Quinceañera the last doll and changing her shoes. ¨In some places, it is also customary for the Quinceañera to receive her symbolic last doll, and to change into a pair of high-heeled shoes¨ according to the World Book.
On the day of the quince, everyone is going to be dancing, but the Quinceañera has a big job. She has to plan dances including her waltz and dance to present to attendees at the party. ¨The waltz is a well-organized and elegant dance to share during the celebration,¨ Metropol explains. It can happen in the middle of the party or at the start before the father-daughter dance. It never matters what songs they dance to, but it should have a meaning.
Having a quince can be stressful. The Quinceañeras guardians could rent a place and have to buy or prepare plenty of food. Overall, quinces take a financial burden on families because of the expenses they entail. At the end of the day, it does not matter what color the dress is or if the party has a theme. The purpose is to celebrate that the Quinceañera is growing up.
Having a quince is not for every Hispanic and Mexican person. There are possibilities that the person does not like parties, they do not think they are Mexican/ Hispanic enough to have one or they know nothing about it. Furthermore, people who are only part Mexican/Hispanic do not want a quince because they do not know about the tradition and were not raised with that religion.
According to Nicole Cobar, host of an online show, ¨If you think about it, there is no real reason to have a quinceanera, other than because it is a part of the culture someone was raised in and identify with.¨
Usually, the Quinceañera throws a party and invites people to come and celebrate. The Quinceañera has the option to do an open invite at whatever time and everyone can come. A quince includes dancing, eating, gift-giving and more.
Becoming a woman can be difficult but maybe having a party to celebrate can relive the stress. A quince is a beautiful tradition and will hopefully continue for more years. There are many things to do for a quinceañera, but it is such an amazing memory. Sometimes the parties do not go to plan; the point of a quince is to celebrate and have fun.
