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If you’re lucky enough to live in an area that has many native Spanish speakers, you’ve heard of a Quinceanera. But if you’ve never attended one before, you might be curious. You can even be invited to one if you have Latin American friends. This celebration is full of customs that are very special to Latin American families. You can get to know this unique tradition and learn Spanish at the same time.
The Quinceanera celebrates the 15th birthday of a young girl. In Latin American culture, this age is the age at which a girl leaves childhood to reach maturity. The ceremony is believed to have originated from the Aztecs and some of their unique vocabularies to the French culture of the late 19th century. The celebration has religious significance for Spanish-speaking Catholics and begins with a Thanksgiving Mass, or Misa de Accion de Gracias, to say thanks for their family and friends. But the celebration is also a very special birthday party. The celebrations also include giving away gifts and eating and dancing together. This makes the celebration a wonderful opportunity to learn about the tradition and the Spanish language that goes with it.
Here’s a distinctive vocabulary and why you need to learn it:
Quittenanos = 15 years or 15th birthday
This is the growing up time for girls in Latino culture.
Young male companion = Chambelan or Escort or Galan
Seven young men of the court = Chambelanes
Seven young ladies-in-waiting = Damas
The court of young ladies and gentlemen, including the Quinceanera girl, is 15.
Traditional ballroom waltz = Vals
A choreographed dance of the court of honor, often with classical European music.
Godparents = padrinos
The girl’s godparents often give the main gifts, but the guests invited to the event also bring gifts that reflect the girl’s personality. Although the event includes religious rituals, it is also a large party that as many friends and family members as possible should attend.
Gifts and fun are an expected part of the day.
The main gifts are symbols of life. The girl wears a tiara to represent leaving childhood and living a life of victory over the challenges of her adult environment. They receive a bracelet or a ring to represent the cycle of life and its connections to its community. Earrings are given to remind them to listen to God’s Word and a rosary or prayer book as a religious resource.
Tiara = tiara, a symbol of victory
Cross = cruz or medal = medailla, symbols of faith
Bible = The Bible
Scepter = cetro, a symbol of elegance
Shoes = the shoes
The guest of honor will first wear flat shoes and receive a pair of elegant high-heeled shoes to represent that she has stepped into femininity. Her mother often changes the girl’s shoes for her, in a special ritual at the party.
The last doll = la ultima muneca
The celebrant receives her last doll as a symbol of the abandonment of childhood.
The toast to the maid of honor = El brindis por la quinceanera
This toast is part of the usual rituals at the birthday party.
These are some of the traditional basics of a quinceanera. However, if you want to learn more, there are hundreds of resources you need to check out online. There are hundreds of variations on the theme, of course. You will find that some websites offer English to Spanish translations for their pages. This is a great resource for learning Spanish as you can compare the English and Spanish versions on the spot.
Now, when you are invited to the invitation, you can attend knowing that you have learned some of the basic Spanish vocabularies and are ready to take part. All you need is a gift and your best clothes and you will be ready for the party!
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