Journal #6 - Fish Out of Water

In all cultures, there is the traditional way of welcoming a child into adulthood with a celebration for the life-changing event. In the Hispanic culture, when a girl turns 15 she becomes a woman and her family throws her a Quinceanera. A quinceanera is a religious ceremony in which the girl’s loved ones commemorate her coming of age and all of the family and social responsibilities that come with it. It is also a joyous event for friends and family to get together, eat ethnic food, and dance the night away.

I recently had the pleasure of attending a quinceanera for my aunt’s niece who wished to honor her Mexican heritage and elders by having a traditional ceremony, followed by a more modernized party with her friends afterwards. Since we are considered family now, we attended the ceremony which took place on a Sunday morning at their local family church. The girl walked up to the altar dressed in a beautiful blush silk satin gown with a magnificently beaded bodice and a bouquet of roses in her hands. All of her close family was dressed in complimenting colors and held flowers and other gifts. The rituals were said in Spanish so I did not understand what sort of prayers were being performed, however I was intrigued by the grand importance of a simple age that has become so significant to this culture. I did not feel at all out of place, as the family has always been very welcoming; however I felt bad not knowing exactly what was being said because I could not follow along.

After the ceremony, everyone went back to the family’s home for an intimate reception held in their backyard. This is where the girl’s personality showed through; the patio was decorated with her favorite colors and possessed a classic theme of sophisticated womanhood. The party was casual and started off with a hip-hop dance performed by her cousins and friends. It was interesting to see how the ceremony, first comprised of religious prayers, transformed from traditional to modern with the latest mix of music and dance. As the night went on, we ate and socialized with the family and newly pronounced woman.

The rest of the night consisted of close relatives proceeding to give speeches to honor her and her special day as well as eating in abundance and then dancing it off. As the evening came to a close, I realized that having not been a part of this particular ethnic group, I still felt a close bond to the festivities and had an open-mind to learning about their religious and contemporary customs.