Unusual traditions of children's holidays in Mexico. Quinceanera - a holiday of growing up in the countries of Latin America 15th anniversary in Latin America what is the name
My friend from America sent me a letter.
Further on her behalf:
Well hello!
I recently visited this event! I can not tell. But
Introductory page first.
***
There are many strange traditions in the countries of Latin America. They are sandwiches
sprinkled with crumbled (I don’t know if there is such a word, but it is very
suitable!) with chips, never wash fruits (as if in a historical layer
dust vitamins), from the newly introduced traditions - to tie yourself to the train,
to cross the US border. But the most traditional tradition -
quinceabrileno. Literally, fifteen years old. That's about this phenomenon,
which was at all, but never was so and will be discussed. By the way, in
There is no such word for the masculine. I'll explain why. No, Latino
boys live to be 15, but the quinceabrileño holiday is purely
girly.
So we already know that the hard-to-pronounce quinceabrileño is
celebration of the 15th anniversary. EVERY family in Latin America
throws SUCH a holiday for his daughters (and in their families there are always many
children)!!! Indeed, on this day, at the age of 15, a girl becomes a girl. AND
Hispanics say it's more important than marriage. Often, from invited
young people, the girl chooses her future husband. More specifically, the girl's family?
yes, is it still there? Sometimes.
***
quinceabrileño, to which I was invited, was organized
absolutely simple family. Venezuelan mom, Ecuadorian dad. Both
work in a supermarket chain. 4 children. Do not believe it: Maria, Jose, Rosa,
Isaura and? Mason. Oh, those fans *soap*. 5 years in the US. Family is not
rich. Home despite relatively cheap tickets - $200 per
both ends, flew only once in 5 years. and only mom and dad. Not that
whatever they want. They say it's expensive. Not out of curiosity, I'm talking about
this, but to give at least some idea of the situation of the family.
For what?? Remember the informative page about quinceabrileño
***
Izaura, the eldest, turns 15!! for 4 (!!!) months she was ordered
dress for 2000 (two thousand) dollars. Brides envy. Family
rented a huge house on the beach with a pool. Not some kind of puddle, but
almost real, Olympic!! I know only from the stories of acquaintances
what happened there. Traditional home and yard decorations were ordered from
Venezuela (it seems like the family lived there), wines from Chile, even pineapples
sent from Colombia. Reading all this, wiping saliva, periodically
see family welfare. Six months before quinceabrileño,
they say they lived in a better house than now?
a month ago I met this family, and then still 14 years old
Isaura. Her mother asked me to show Izaura *beautiful movements*. I
admitted that from Latin American folklore only *hey, tequila* and
*I'm a curmudgeon* I know. But they were interested in *graceful dancing*. So are we
became friends. A month later, I was called to quinceabrileño.
see what Professor Higgins of Eliza has done.
Quinceabrileno
I will say right away that the dress is the cheapest that was on the girl. shoes
embroidered with pearls, a beautiful necklace, emeralds? know exactly what hairstyle
(real flowers woven into braids) cost $400. I immediately stopped
complaining that it cost 80 to dye my roots!! There were 300 guests.
I think that 90 percent of them are relatives. 9 percent local
Latin Americans. And a few onlookers like me. Honestly, there was no food.
a lot, but everything was very beautiful. And yes, it's not about the food.
When everyone gathered in the hall (the size of a television complex), Izaura went out to
middle, my mother said something in Spanish. The only thing I understood
as you might guess, it's quinceabrileño!! then listed by
the names of all those present. Here dad with a little girl (Rose) endures
huge tray. He is wearing stiletto heels, bright lipstick, shadows, blush,
ring. Some more waste paper. The girl's aunt painted her lips, mom
unraveled her braids. Uncle tried to loosen his hands. But he was stopped. Dad
changed shoes for shoes. All. The girl is mature. Everyone clapped. And let's go
drinking wine. 15 minutes. All this cost 15 thousand dollars. FIFTEEN THOUSAND
DOLLARS. One dollar - 24 rubles. Who's next 15th birthday?? Maybe
what is there to teach to move smoothly?
Oh yeah, about moving.
On this quinc? well, of course, there were 15 boys (they are already 15) and 14 girls
(up to 15) and Izaura (15 exactly). At the end, they stood opposite each other, and
Izaura chose one to dance with. The most sympathetic. In short, got
a boy in a slave to Izaura!! Sorry? All year, he will be considered her
best friend!! That is, pay for ice cream, movies, and so on. Right,
the family is ruined. They sold their house in Venezuela, moved from
of the average house in the USA into some barn, and all in order to
to?.
Neighbors might say *¡vaya un mozo! Esta
quinceabrileño*!!!. it's something like * well, you threw a feast mountain! *
at the end of the holiday, I found out that there were not so many relatives there. IN
basically, really neighbors, work colleagues and other those whose
quinceabrileño children was worse. So it would be better to say
*envidiar me* - envy me.
I got sad here.
P.s. this family is no exception. I was told that some sell EVERYTHING
if only everyone would envy, sorry, so that the girl would be happy.
The 15th birthday of a Hispanic girl marks the transition into adulthood and is lavishly celebrated by the whole family. In Brazil, such a holiday is called the "debutante ball" (Leo Tolstoy immediately comes to mind :)
On August 11, two of my husband’s nieces celebrated their holiday at once, which prompted me to this topic (I was waiting for a professional photo, but I didn’t wait, but you didn’t lose anything, 95% of photographers in Mexico are unworthy of this title).
1. Kenya is the eldest daughter of my husband's middle sister
According to Mexican traditions, this holiday was the first time a girl wore makeup (of course, this rule is no longer observed). The Mexican fifteenth anniversary begins with a festive mass in the church. For a very long time, girls dressed in pink for mass (symbolizing purity and innocence), according to my observations, now all girls go to church not in a special pink / white dress, but in the same ballroom in which they will later participate in dancing.
During mass in the church, the girl is given an illuminated necklace with the Virgin Mary and a tiara. Tiara is needed in order to remind relatives that for them she will always be a princess.
3. A wonderful miracle - my mother-in-law Victoria with her sister-in-law Leticia (the same "Aunt Letya"). Religion does not allow them to be photographed, but difficult obligations to another aunt - Elisa - won out.
The girl is accompanied all day by her friends and relatives - young guys dressed the same (like bridesmaids at a wedding). Traditionally, they rent a limousine and visit a couple of attractions (remember anything?).
4. For illustration, I pulled pictures from the Internet
5. This option is also quite popular yes, yes, Cinderella ate my daughter
6. After mass - a magnificent ball. First - the first dance - with family members, starting with the father.
7. Almost always after that - a staged dance with the participation of gentlemen. Traditionally, Mexican girls weren't allowed to dance in public (except at school dances), so this was the first public dance (again, I guess this tradition is now a thing of the past).
8. Another example of a dance (sometimes girlfriends also participate in it)
9. I often see only gentlemen, sometimes couples, but apparently it happens like that
10. 15 Candle Ceremony: A girl gives a candle to everyone who influenced her growing up in her 15 years. Each candle symbolizes a common memory, a special moment that connects the birthday girl with her loved ones. Sometimes giving a candle is accompanied by a speech of thanks.
11. The tradition of changing shoes - a family member puts a girl in high-heeled shoes, again symbolizing growing up (in the case of Kenya, as you can see, this is a convention, her "do" shoes are already high-heeled).
There is also the tradition of the "last doll", when the father gives the birthday girl dolls dressed as herself. This Mayan tradition is again associated with the symbolism of the transition into women.
12. My attempts to find at least one blonde were unsuccessful. Americans, theoretically, celebrate "sweet 16" (Sweet 16), but, of course, not on such a scale.
The ball usually includes 200-300 friends and relatives, a gala dinner (unlike Russian festivities, Mexican festivities have a lot of monotonous food, that is, you eat what they give, and not what you want, everyone is the same). The next morning, the close family gathers at the birthday girl's house for the so-called "warmed breakfast" - eating the remnants of the feast.
13. The decoration of the hall for Mexican holidays is very traditional, and ceases to shock after the tenth ball. Without bows on the chairs - nowhere!
14. And this is my other niece by husband - Brenda. We have complaints about her family - we decided not to invite a Spanish-speaking blonde who was wormed into the family. Our revenge will be terrible.
Note that this girl lives in Madison, in the USA, and, as for me, the ease of approach to the holiday (t-shirts instead of tuxedos) and American smiles are noticeable!
15. This holiday is an industry no worse than the wedding industry, with a similar selection of the smallest details.
16. Sometimes it’s even a pity that we didn’t have such an opportunity to play princess for a day
17. You won’t surprise anyone with modern cakes, and Mexicans rarely go untrodden paths.
18. Disney World Offers Special 15th Anniversary Packages
To my legitimate bewilderment "is it like a wedding !?", the husband always replies "Not everyone will get married, but everyone needs a holiday." Such a celebration costs the family between $5,000-15,000, often on credit. In Mexico, it is customary that relatives pay for some piece of the holiday as a "gift" - a cake, for example, alcohol, music. group, renting a hall - everything is divided into parts. And at some point, it is obligatory to publicly say thank you to all donors.
19. Is the princess alive in you?
Clicking on the image will open the full size version
A quinceañera is a ceremony to celebrate a girl's fifteenth birthday in some Latin American countries.
The roots of this ceremony go far back to the pre-Columbian civilization of the Aztecs, when they sacrificed virgins to the gods. With the advent of the conquistadors, the ceremony turned into a gallant celebration of wealthy families, marking the girl's transition to adulthood.
The holiday has survived to this day and is now democratically included in ordinary families in which a young girl is growing up.
Unfortunately, in the Old World, the celebration of the sixteenth or eighteenth birthday is more heard, therefore, having received an invitation from Montevideo to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Jasmine, we were somewhat surprised and limited ourselves to the usual congratulations.
In February of this year, the Jasmine family was visiting us. Looking at the photos of the family that they brought with them, I noticed that the celebration of the girl's 15th birthday was celebrated very magnificently. It was then that Jasmine and her mother told what this holiday means in the life of a Latin American girl.
The story seemed interesting to me. Therefore, I asked Jasmine to send me photos to illustrate the post with a retelling of that holiday. Unfortunately, half of the photos disappeared into the bottomless bowels of the computer. I did not dare to repeat the request, because. Jasmine is a very busy girl. She is in her sixth year at a military college and dreams of becoming Uruguay's first female general.
Therefore, I accompany my story only with photographs of the Quinceañera ceremony, which was arranged at the college for Jasmine and her fellow soldiers.
The Quinceanera coming of age holiday is very important for the girls of Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, along with such events in a woman's life as a wedding and first birth.
On the occasion of the daughter's fifteenth birthday, the family organizes a big celebration with dancing and refreshments. For a birthday girl, this is a real maturity test. The girl must personally take care of the organization of the holiday: decorate the place for dancing, choose music, prepare a banquet with traditional dishes, helping her mother in the kitchen.
The girl must choose a beautiful dress, makeup and hairstyle.
This is a very important moment for her mother as well. she can make sure that her daughter learned her life lessons well. From that moment on, the girl can start her sentimental life and prepare for her own family life.
For the holiday, 15 young people and 14 girls are invited to create pairs for dancing together. This is the ritual of el baile de la debutante.
But the girl is invited to the very first dance by her father, who symbolically offers his daughter the last doll, which she must throw away, emphasizing that she is moving into adulthood. The father then replaces his daughter's low-heeled shoes with a pair of elegant high-heeled shoes.
The invitees give the girl roses. And the birthday girl, in turn, gives fifteen candles to relatives, friends and neighbors who have been with her all these years.
After the dance, everyone is treated to what the family has prepared. By the richness of the treats, they can judge how good a hostess the birthday girl will be and how rich her dowry will be.
Approximately such traditions are laid down in this holiday.
But for now, dreams of a future military and diplomatic career live in Jasmine's pretty head. She speaks fluent Spanish, English, French and tolerable Italian. Drives confidently. Her physical fitness makes me suspect a special diligence in the gym, and excellent upbringing, in which I was able to see for myself, allows me to call Jasmine a "princess". Before the general, she had very little left ...
Latin America is a region that attracts tourists with its ancient history, culture, and, of course, a unique atmosphere. The bright holidays celebrated by Hispanics deserve special attention.
Brazilian Carnival - a celebration of millions
On the opening day, thousands of its participants dress up as nuns and take to the streets of the city. This custom has a perfectly logical explanation. According to legend, once the nuns ran away from the monastery for the sake of a colorful show and returned to their cloisters only on the last day of the carnival.
The Brazilian carnival is considered one of the largest and most spectacular shows in the world, with about two million people participating in it. The city is decorated with beautiful decorations and illuminations. Water battles, dances of all peoples of the world, bright costumes - immersion in this atmosphere will be remembered for a long time and will give a lot of positive impressions.
Tickets should be purchased in advance, prices start at $500. You can also purchase costumes and take part in this grandiose show.
The date of the: depends on the Catholic calendar. The end of the festival also marks the beginning of Lent. In 2018, they will celebrate from February 9 to 14.
Pisco Sur Day in Peru
Every year on the first Saturday of February, a holiday begins in the country, which includes competitions, fairs, and concerts. The main attribute is "the most elegant cocktail in Latin America", prepared on the basis of pisco grape vodka.
On the day of the holiday, a cocktail is distributed free of charge on the streets. A great way for a tourist to get acquainted with the taste of this drink. After the tasting, a large-scale celebration begins. People sincerely have fun, dance, sing. If you want to be a part of this holiday, go to the south of the country, where the most grandiose spectacle awaits you.
The date of the: annually on the fourth Sunday of July.
Tinku - a holiday of "fight"
The inhabitants of Bolivia did not stand aside either. The holiday, which will be discussed below, is one of the most exotic. The name itself tells us that it is not dancing and fun that captivate people on this day, and not even alcoholic drinks, but a fight.
This holiday has its own traditions. Before the start of the main act, the priest reads a long mass. Only after the padre says "amen" does the battle begin, in which men and women of all ages take part.
The blood that flows from the wounds soaks into the ground. It is believed that this gift will increase productivity. Tinka is carried out twice a year, during sowing and harvesting. This tradition has come from ancient times, and the inhabitants of the village of Akazio monitor its observance. She is quite brutal, there are no rules in combat.
Event dates: in May and September.
The day of the Dead
It is celebrated annually on November 2nd. On this day, people remember the dead.
Each country has its own characteristics of the celebration. Mexicans decorate the graves of the dead with orange flowers. In houses, an altar is built in their honor, on which photographs and the favorite food of the deceased are placed. Mexicans give each other sugar skulls. In Nicaragua, people spend the night at the cemetery, thereby expressing their respect. The inhabitants of Ecuador arrange a real feast in the cemetery. On this day, some families tell fortunes on the bones, there is a belief that the deceased will help them solve problems and answer difficult questions. Latin Americans consider death to be a natural event, so no one is sad on this day.
Fiesta del Fuego, festival of lights
The hottest holiday on our list is the Fire Festival in Cuba. It lasts from the third to the ninth of July. On the streets of the city, local vocal and instrumental ensembles perform, which, with their music, give the holiday an unusual mood. At every step there are stalls with food and a traditional Cuban drink - rum.
At nightfall, the city is illuminated by many burning torches. The most interesting part of the event begins: a fire show and performances of fakirs. The holiday ends with magnificent fireworks.
This holiday is a great opportunity to get acquainted with the unusual color of Cuba, see the Fire Parade and take part in the ritual burning of the symbolic figure of the devil.
Admission to the festival is free, which makes it especially attractive for tourists.
