Quinceanera - Cakes, Dresses and Celebrations
By: Sarah Butler
The quinceañera celebration is a coming of age celebration for girls from the hispanic communities of the world believed to originate as early as Aztec times. The term “quinceañera” refers to “Quince Anos” meaning fifteen years and so it is that girls of 15 years of age receive a quinceañera celebration to celebrtate their coming of age from child hood to maturity and womanhood.
The event is a family and community affair and begins with a mass and ends with a fiesta. The size of the event tends to be related to the social standing of the participants but expenditure for the celebration can run from $5000-$10000.
The event is full of symbolic gestures and acts to denote the change from child to woman. The quinceañera may enter the church for the mass in the flat shoes of a child at the beginning of the celebration, but by the end of the fiesta ceremony will have been crowned a woman and will have changed her flat shoes for high heels.
The most important component of the celebration is invariably a Misa de acción de gracias (thanksgiving Mass). The birthday girl arrives decked out in a fancy full-length ball gown dress. Flanked by her parents and padrinos (godparents), she is specially seated as guest of honor at the front of the congregation at the foot of the altar throughout the service. She may be accompanied by up to seven damas (maids of honor) and as many chambelanes (chamberlains), selected from among close family and friends.
At the end of the mass younger sisters, cousins and friends pass out bolos (commemorative favors) to those in attendance, while the quinceañera deposits her bouquet on the altar or in a niche honoring the Virgin Mary, most often that of the ubiquitous Virgen de Guadalupe.
Celebrations then move on to the fiesta, a grand reception, that can be held at home or in a more public venue. The celebrations include dancing, food and music. The quinceañera’s court consisting of 14 young damas and chambelanes all dressed in ball gowns and tuxedos may take part in choreographed dancing before the quinceañera is waltzed by her escort and then crowned on her thrown as a woman.
Other indispensable highlights include a customary toast and the cutting of a multi-tiered quinceañera cake. Dripping in meringue frosting and decorated in hues to match the quinceañera’s dress, the cake may be of such monumental proportions that the door leading into the party locale must be removed from it hinges to accommodate it!
Gifts are exchanged, guests usually receive small tokens, cápias and cerámicas, to commemorate the celebration, while the quinceañera may receive tiara’s, bracelets, rings, earrings, crosses and bibles or pray books.
Sarah Butler writes for Quinceanera Cakes at www.quinceanera-cake.com