Preview

Essay On Quinceanera

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
509 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Essay On Quinceanera
Mackenzie McCool

What is a quinceanera? I wasn’t too sure what it was at first, so I decided to write a report on what exactly happens at this event. At first, I thought it was like an American girl's ‘sweet sixteen.’ I was way off, turns out that a quinceanera is a religious custom in the Hispanic Culture that celebrates a young Hispanic woman becoming of age, which is fifteen. It values the importance of youth to maturity, religious beliefs, family, and social responsibility.
In the Hispanic World, when a young woman turns fifteen, it is normal for her family to throw her a quinceanera. This party recognizes her venturing from a child into an adult. It isn’t any normal party either, because it consists of multiple traditions such as: A
…show more content…
The woman is to kneel upon what is called the “kneeling pillow” and the preacher will ask God to bless her and her family, along with the rest of her life. At this ceremony, there are some very essential needs such as: A Bible, a flower bouquet, and a tiara. A Bible is essential to the ceremony, because it is the first gift the woman receives from the Pastor. The Bible is normally wrapped in lace or silk to represent purity. The Pastor will then talk about how the word of God is important in the young woman’s life. The Flower Bouquet is traditional, it is used as an offering that the girl will leave at the altar as her parents approach her. The flowers are normally the same color as the young woman’s dress. The Tiara is essential, because the young woman wears it to indicate that she is a princess, a daughter of God. The Pastor will talk about the crowns that are mentioned in the Bible.
There are also other accessories that can be used for this ceremony: A cake, champagne glasses, a guest book, photo album, ceremony pillows, guest favors, and other things. The Last Doll is also used as part of the ceremony or as decoration. It represents the last things of a child and now the woman will focus on being a young

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Do you know what a quinceanera is? Maybe not. Well today you are going to learn about the making of a quinceanera. The making of a quinceanera starts with planning. A latina has to start planning her party ahead of time which might be a year. The first thing she has to look for is her venue which is the place her party is going to be at. Once she has her venue,she has to look for her godparents. Her godparents are the ones who will help her out with some of the things she will need for her party. Sometimes she will have godparents for everything. Then once she has all the godparents she wants she will need to look for her dress.…

    • 124 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    First off, there are quite a few similarities between el Quinceañero and an American child’s 16th birthday. Both of the celebrations include a huge party. They also symbolize a transition from childhood to adulthood for the teenager. As far as tradition, the dad typically gets the first dance with the daughter that is turning fifteen (or sixteen in the US). In addition, the person with a birthday typically dresses elegantly; girls tend to wear dresses.…

    • 204 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    After the placement of the heels, the father and daughter join together to dance the waltz. The second half of the celebration a reception that encompasses a catered dinner, a series of rituals (which are believed to have been borrowed from European courts) and a dance party with live music could be seen as a high priority than the spiritual one. The appearance the birthday girl attires can be described as a big, poofy dress and shiny tiara on their head. Their makeup would be done and as will their hair. Quinceanera’s used to be more traditional until it was brought into the United States. Once the celebration was brought here, the celebration became more lavish. The parties started to include live bands, limos, and catered dinners that could serve hundreds of people. Instead of the traditional dresses, the dresses became more prom-like gowns. Basically becoming a wedding with the different finery and traditional accouterments used of a wedding. The only thing missing is the groom. You can kind of see how a sweet 16 and a quinceanera relate. The main difference is how in-depth and meaningful a quinceanera is and also how much culture is involved with this…

    • 495 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    3. Symbols: Love which represents red, Happily represents green, Water represents purity, River represents blue, Church represents praying or marriage and Brides Dress represents white.…

    • 319 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the Hispanic culture, the significance of having a quinceanera is to show a girl becoming a young lady, to thank god for all he has done and to show her off to her family and friends. It is a very religious ceremony. It is traditional for the Quinceanera to choose special friends to be apart of what is called the Court of Honor. Usually, these people are her closest friends, her brothers, sisters, cousins: The people she mostly honors. In the Quinceanera's Court of Honor all the young girls are called damas and all the young men are called Chambelanes. A quinceanera always starts off with going to church and having a mass to give thanks to god then right after a reception is held to celebrate with family and friends. In an American culture, the significance is the same to show a girl's coming of age. Even though it is not as religious as a quinceanera, a sweet sixteen is an important rite of passage that celebrates approaching adulthood and is usually celebrated with a big part. "While sweet sixteen celebrations lack the religious influence of other coming-of-age celebrations, some traditions do surface" writes Kiri Picone. As seen on TV shows like "My super sweet sixteen" a tradition of receiving a car is shown to represent having responsibilities. Unlike in a quinceanera, a sweet sixteen doesn’t really have a court of honor, well some might but its not really called anything its just a group of her closets friends to share the spotlight with. Interestingly, many families today are merging their Hispanic and America heritages by choosing to celebrate a combination of both a quinceanera and a sweet sixteen.…

    • 323 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The event also had many games that you could participate in and be more active. The first game that I played is Sapo which is sort of the equivalent to the American corn hole. Each team has six coins and you have a board that has different holes that are worth a certain amount of points and the team that reaches the goal score first wins. There is a frog placed in the center of the board that is worth 4000 points and is nearly impossible to make it in. They also had soccer goals set up to play since it is a huge part of the Spanish culture and is often played when there are get togethers such as cinco de mayo. To kinda of end things they served tacos and burritos as well as had two dancers that danced as part of some…

    • 443 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    According to Christy Damio “a Quinceañera is not just a party but it was also taking on responsibility in the home and community” (Damio p.13). To a young girl this is real exciting because it makes her feel like a responsible adult and that she has gained her family’s trust. The most important privileges for a young lady is to wear makeup, date, and make adult decisions. Judith Ortiz Cofer relates to this in one of her articles by stating “she was instructed on how to act like a proper sen᷇orita and were encouraged to look and act like women and dress in clothes that made them look more mature” (Cofer 39). Wearing makeup is something that a girl being raised in the Hispanic culture can start wearing the day of her Quinceañera. Another major privilege a girl gets is permission by her parents to begin dating, and from experience I can say it is one of the things young ladies look most forward too. Turning fifteen is a real special time in a young lady’s life especially because in her parents’ eyes she is a young lady who is responsible and able to make grown up decisions and the consequences as well. In a documentary by Robert Brown he says “like passing through an invisible door a Latina enters her Quinceañera as a child but emerges as a young woman with new responsibilities and those who know and love her will treat her differently from that day forward” (Brown). A Quinceañera is much more than gifts, responsibilities, and privileges but is also made up of a special…

    • 1267 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mexico has assimilated the American version of Halloween into their culture, while still keeping Día de Los Muertos traditions alive. Individuals refer to it to as Día de Las Brujas or “Night of the Witches”. The fete has different layers of meaning depending on social status. Those with a higher social standing buy into the commercialization by purchasing costumes, decorating lavishly, and attending parties or parades. Brandes states in “The Day of the Dead, Halloween, and the Quest for Mexican National Identity” that “Unlike in the United States, I have rarely seen a Mexican adult wear a costume-or even a portion of a costume” (372). Children are the target audience rather than adults. The poorer classes see Día de Las Brujas as a profitable…

    • 146 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A quinceañera is the celebration of a young woman’s coming of age. In the Spanish language “quince” means fifteen, the age that a Hispanic girl becomes a woman. The term quinceañera refers to both the young woman and the name of the celebration. This celebration is composed of two equally important events. One event is a mass that is specially organized and decorated for the quinceañera. The second event is a party…

    • 919 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Quinceañera

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Who would've thought that baking cupcakes could lead to learning so much about Mexican culture and history? At first, definitely not me. But now, I know so much more than I ever thought I would, about things like Quinceaneras and the Mexican Flag. I personally had always thought that a Quinceañera was basically a sweet sixteen, but there's a lot more to it. The tradition consists of the Quince, her chambelane (dancing partner/ date), 14 young girls called "Damas" and 14 young men to assist them (chambelanes). Though, nowadays it is more likely for the quince to have seven Damas and 7 chambelanes. The quince can also choose to have all Damas or all Chambelanes. The Damas usually wear the same color and style of dress to coordinate with the quince.…

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hello, my name is Lexie. I am about to turn 15 years old. This means I finally get to have my Quinceanera! You may be wondering, “What is a Quinceanera?”. A Quinceanera is a Hispanic tradition that celebrates a young girl’s coming of age. I may live in America, but my family is HIspanic. My dad is from South America, and my mom is from Mexico. I can’t wait to be able to celebrate my Hispanic heritage! Another question you may have is, “Why do Hispanics have a Quinceanera?”. The Quinceanera celebrates a young girl’s (Me!) and acknowledges her journey from childhood to womanhood. “What happens at a Quinceanera?’, you ask? Well, a Quinceanera has customs based on God, family, friends, food, dance, and music. The festivities welcome religious traditions, responsibility, and family virtues. The Quinceanera begins with a religious ceremony. Then, there is a reception held in the home of the family or a place where parties are usually held. During a reception, there is food, music, and there may even be a waltz or dance performed by the Quinceanera and her Court. The Court of Honor is a thing where the…

    • 426 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Don Quixote's Quest

    • 284 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Don Quixote is a hero because of his persistence to succeed. Although Quixote wants to become a hero in his lifetime, instead he becomes a hero who has lived four hundred years later. Quixote models himself after all the knights he reads about. For example, Quixote dedicates the village whore Aldonza Lorenzo, who he names Dulcinea of Toboso, to be his courtly love. Like most heroes and knights, Quixote has a quest he must go on but challenges arise along the way. Among these challenges Quixote attacks windmills he believes are four armed giants; although he is unsuccessful in defeating the so-called giants, he still does not lose the motivation to finish his quest. Quixote’s persistence to complete his quest makes him a hero because he will…

    • 284 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    A Quinceañera in the Hispanic culture in the area of Yuma, Arizona is when a girl at the age of fifteen is becoming a young lady. This is a time where family and friends gather to celebrate girls coming of age with a large party with Mexican music, dancing, and food. While this tradition is done throughout the world, it is very common in the Yuma area because of the Mexican influence in…

    • 616 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As a shy teenage girl with two left feet and a fear of dancing in public, I felt that dancing at a friend’s quinceanera as a member of her court of honor was going to be the worst experience of my life. After my mother gave me the news that she had volunteered me to be a dama de honor, I immediately complained about having to dance with a group of strangers for 5 months in preparation for the dance performance in front of about 200 people. For the first month I reluctantly attended every practice, and the most communication I had with the rest of the court members were a few mumbles once in a while. But as the day of the quinceanera approached, I became more comfortable with the other members of the court and even befriended some of them. I…

    • 445 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Selena Quintanilla Essay

    • 688 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, better known as simply Selena. Selena was a very well known Mexican-American songwriter and singer, topping the charts and earning the title of top latin artist in the 90’s. Selena was the youngest member of her family, having one older sister and an older brother. She debuted her way in the music world in 1980 in a band consisting of her siblings, managed by her father. In two years her music career broaded into the professional world where she was confronted with many obstacles due to the fact the the genre of Tejano music was male dominated and most venues refused her, but her popularity grew in 1986 with her famous award of winning best female vocalist of the year from the Tejano Music Awards, in which she continued…

    • 688 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays