15: Comin of Age

We were recently honored to experience a new event. Danielle recently turned 15 and obviously has many friends turning 15 year old, and one happens to be in a family with Hispanic heritage with an interest in marking this moment in time with a full-blown quinceañera! We were super excited to be part of this celebration!

I've been aware of quinceañeras but have never attended one nor really knew much about them. I did do some light research and learning when this one came on our radar, and it is a fascinating thing combining religious and social elements. I had no idea the scale of it and that it pretty much flows like a wedding for a 15 year old!

We attended the service in the morning at a Catholic Church where we got a sneak peak of the celebrant's amazing dress - straight out of a princess fairy tale! We also heard a lovely homily from a 90-year-old priest, who still remembers when he turned 15!

Later that evening the real festivities kicked in at a nearby wedding venue with a fabulous dinner, followed by a waltz performed by the quinci and her "court" (ie. 4 of her closest friends plus dates). 

The court had special seating and were serenaded by mariachis. 

There were speeches, cake cutting, pictures and LOTS of dancing! My research clued me in that the dancing was a big part of it, so Jeff and I got involved during the simple dances -- where everyone sort of shuffled along in a big circle while moving to the rhythm. The music varied between pop and traditional Hispanic sounds.

At some point in the night, the party was opened to more and more friends who showed up  dressed like they were going to homecoming! Of course the event was mainly about Danielle celebrating her friend's big day...

But the rest of us enjoyed it just as much!

Happy 15th, Sophia! Thank you for allowing us to share this exciting moment with you!