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The Quinceañera, also called the Quince Años, is a Hispanic tradition of celebrating a girl's fifteenth birthday. The celebration is meant to acknolwedge a young woman's journey from childhood to maturity.
Rich in tradition and customs that are centuries old, the Quinceañera celebration focuses on God, family, friends, food and dance. The Quinceañera typically begins with a Mass of Thanksgiving or other religious ceremony. After the religious ceremony, a formal reception is held to celebrate with family and friends. Similar to a wedding, the celebration requires a lot of attention to detail. Be sure to plan early. You'll need to make arrangement with your church and a reception hall. Once you have the place and date set, you're ready to choose your invitations, response and reception cards. (Don't forget thank you notes for the gifts you're going to receive!) In addition to inviting family and friends, you'll need to choose your court, a group of young women and men who will escort you and also perform some traditional dances. Quinceañera traditions vary from culture to culture. Some celebrations include giving or throwing a quince doll, which represent the young woman's last childhood doll. Other celebrations include the young woman changing from flat shoes to heels before dancing with her father, to signify she has changed from a child to a woman. No matter which customs and traditions you plan to incorporate in your Quinceañera, be sure to start planning early in order to make it extra special, unique and memorable. |