It has been known that when girls, as well as boys reach a certain age they make a transition from childhood to adulthood. This type of transition may also be called a right of passage, which signifies a person is ready to move into a new stage in their lives. These rites of passages are given special titles that have an enormous symbolic meaning per culture. For example, according to Mary D.Lankford in her book A Latina’s Journey to Womanhood, she talks about the right of passage for a thirteen year old jewish boy which is called bar mitzvah and the similar right of passage for the jewish girl called the bat mitzvah. Another widely celebrated right of passage by Latino families around the world is the Quinceanera. A Quinceanera is the celebration of a girl’s fifteenth birthday. Mary D.Lankford says:“After the Spanish conquered the Aztecs in 1521, the traditions of their Catholic religion meshed with the initiation rites of the Aztecs. As these rites continued to develop, the age of fifteen marked a time of decision for young women”. This is where Quinceanera originated and became a special occasion. The difference between a Quinceanera and any other birthday party is that it is fancier and you invite more people. Planning for a Quinceanera takes about a year. The girl celebrating has to do many things during the year to prepare for this celebration. She has to pick a partner which is known as an escort, along with a court of honor, which is fourteen couples each representing one year of her life. The girl with her parents has to pick the type of music that will be played and the food and beverages that will be served. She also needs to get her dress and pick out the dresses for the girls in her court of honor. The guys just wear tuxedos. This preparation is similar to ...
