{"id":1589,"date":"2014-12-16T10:30:19","date_gmt":"2014-12-16T10:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.themanorrestaurant.com\/blog\/?p=1589"},"modified":"2023-01-03T14:40:35","modified_gmt":"2023-01-03T19:40:35","slug":"what-is-a-quincenera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pleasantdale.com\/blog\/what-is-a-quincenera\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is a Quinceanera?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"What<\/a>\u2018Quincea\u00f1era<\/b><\/i>\u2019 <\/i>is a Spanish word that has two meanings: It refers to a girl who is 15 years old, and<\/i> it\u2019s the word for the coming-of-age celebration for when a girl turns 15 years old.<\/p>\n

Historically, quinceanera has a many centuries-ago origin when both boys and girls celebrated rites of passage, and young girls were prepared to enter womanhood by learning from the elder women in the community lessons about their future roles as members of the family and of the community. Later, missionaries transformed the ritual into a personal affirmation of faith, and a pledge to become good Christian wives and mothers. Then a church celebration comes next because it is an important part of the ritual.<\/p>\n

Now, the quinceanera celebration<\/b> often begins with a church ceremony or Mass, and then a lavish party follows. A modern quinceanera celebration may be very much like a wedding, held in a grand ballroom, with a large guest list filled with relatives and friends who feast on a celebratory meal and enjoy dancing. Some families choose to include a traditional mariachi band as the quinceanera entertainment, and some blend in cultural music with modern music, to create an outstanding party in honor of the 15 year-old girl.<\/p>\n

Also part of the quinceanera may be a presentation of the birthday girl to the crowd, and special dances that have been choreographed and learned over months. Some families begin saving for and planning an elaborate quincenera for a daughter since birth, and the godparents may also be involved in paying for the quinceanera celebration.<\/p>\n

In addition to dances that are performed during the quinceanera celebration, other details involved in a traditional quincenera include:<\/p>\n