Celebrate your Quinceanera with Traditions

Every Latina girl dreams about her Quinceanera, or 15th birthday party, when she will leave her childhood behind and enter womanhood. Quinceanera parties are usually elaborate soirees, which have many traditions. Below are some of the common traditions practiced during a girl’s Quinceanera.

• The girl celebrating her coming of age chooses friends, brothers, sisters, cousins and others who she is close with to be a part of her Court of Honor and share the spotlight. The party girl wears a Quinceanera dress or gown, and the people of the Court of Honor usually wear gowns or tuxedos.
• Typically, the girl celebrating turning 15 receives a tiara, cross or medal, bible or prayer book, rosary, and a scepter. These gifts all have special meanings. The tiara marks her as a princess and symbolizes her movement through childhood and the challenges facing her in womanhood. A cross stands for her faith in God, herself and the world, while the bible and rosary remind her of the importance of keeping God in her life. The scepter stands for authority and responsibility for her life.
• One well-known tradition is the Changing of the Shoes. This is when the girl’s father and a male family member take off her flat shoes, and replace them with heels.
• During the church ceremony, the girl kneels on a decorative ceremony pillow, which sometimes has her name sewn onto it.
• After the ceremony, during the reception everyone toasts the birthday girl with decorated champagne glasses

These are only five of the many traditions that take place at a Quinceanera. What are some of your favorite Quinceanera traditions?