I recently heard that Lindsey Lohan looked for corporate sponsors for her 22nd birthday party earlier this month, which made me chuckle to think that only now is Hollywood catching up to our quinceañera celebrations.
Held to mark a girl’s 15th birthday and honor her passage from childhood to womanhood, quinceañeras are a strong tradition in many Latin American countries and Hispanic communities across the U.S., and the events can be so lavish that they can put a major dent on a family’s budget. Of course, those who provide services to quinceañeras at the tune of $400 million a year are dancing all the way to the bank.
They are often huge celebrations, and the most elaborate feature a special mass followed by a formal dinner complete with such rituals as a father-daughter dance, ceremonial slipping on of the first pair of heels, and a quinceañera court comprised of the girl’s friends of both sexes who “stand up” for the affair much like bridesmaids and groomsmen at a wedding.
The highlight of the evening (well for me, at least) is the choreographed dance the court performs for guests. Needless to say, today’s quinceañeras can cost thousand of dollars.
In Mexico and Mexican-American communities, it is customary for family and community members to “sponsor” parts of the celebration: from the dress, to the food, the first pair of heels to the cake. Not only does this help ease the financial burden on the girl’s family, but it also provides a way for community members to show their love and support of the “quince” and her family.
This community aspect is what makes quinceañeras unique. Yes, many cultures celebrate a young woman’s coming of age and yes, the local community is also involved; yet in my opinion, the level of community involvement is not as strong, as expected or as publicly acknowledged as it is for quinceañeras. I recently attended my cousin’s and the ’thank you’ list of sponsors on the program was nearly as long as the hundred plus people in attendance.
So as it is in life – and in Hispanic marketing – quinceañeras are much more than they seem to the untrained eye. They are not simply the celebration of an individual but of the community at large, and a reminder that family and community are central to the lives of U.S. Hispanics.
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