Quinceanera

Quinceanera, a celebration of Latina Womanhood A quinceanera invitation is an opportunity to celebrate the rite of passage for a 15 year-old Latina women. It serves as a way to acknowledge that a young woman has reached maturity. Fifteen was the age when many young women left their families to become wives and then mothers. A Latina woman enters her quinceañera as a child but emerges as a young woman with new responsibilities. For Latinas this is an old and revered tradition. Now, many Latina girls combine the "American" concept of "sweet sixteen" with what would have been their quinceañeras. For a Latina girl, a quinceñera party is a very special event happening only once in a girl’s life. It is a time for the family and the community to celebrate. Everyone gets a quinceanera invitation. Traditionally, planning a quinceanera includes the tradition of throwing a quincenera doll. The doll represents the young woman’s childhood, and throwing the doll is similar to throwing a garter at a wedding. A quinceanera celebration can be a small family get together or a lavish party complete with a formal quinceanera invitation, quinceanera decorations, and a beautiful quinceanera centerpiece. Planning a quinceaera has become a big business for the party industry. There are new websites to help families plan a quinceanera for every budget. You can find ideas for quinceanera party favors, custom quinceanera invitations, and every type of quinceanera decorations. There is even a new national magazine that has just been launched. It is targeted for the Latina girls between the ages of 11 and 15 and their mothers. The quinceanera experts suggest you begin planning a quinceanera two –three years in advance. The average quinceanera costs about $5000. Quinceaneras are a way for third generation Americans to stay in touch with the Latin roots and keep their cultural and traditional ties alive. It is an important and growing tradition in the Hispanic community because it transcends all Latino cultures. Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, South Americans all celebrate quinceanera. It also is a compliment to other coming-of-age customs like sweet 16 parties, and bar and bat mitzvahs. The quinceanera party is a huge and growing market. Families spent over $240 million last year on quinceaneras. There are an estimated 400,000 Latino girls turning 15 in the United States every year. There is even a new movie called "Quinceaera" that’s scheduled to air across the country. The fictional story won both the grand jury prize and the audience award at the Sundance Film Festival, and will bring the tradition to a much wider audience