Quinceañeros

We have learned many new customs since coming to Mexico. One of the ones we really enjoy is the quinceañeros. At this fiesta a girl´s fifteenth birthday is celebrated. It is a very special time of recognition for the girl. We didn't realize how important until we attended one. This last Saturday there was a quinceañeros for one of the girls in our church.

Basically the quinceañeros begins with the girl walking in and being seated on a "throne". The whole area is decorated very beautifully, reminiscent of weddings in the US. The worship band then plays half a dozen or so songs. The girl in this quinceañeros is in the dance group in the church so she was featured with her whole dance group in the program. Then the father gives words of gratitude and encouragement. The girl then comes to where her father is speaking and it gets very tear jerky, even for a toughy like me. The pastor and his wife follow this by giving more words of encouragement to the girl and her mom and dad. Now comes the best part - a sit down Mexican meal - how good is that? Gifts are brought and placed on a table, again reminiscent of weddings in the US. There is even a blow-up slide for all the kids to have fun. It's like a huge family picnic!

Here are some photos captured with a phone camera. Doesn't really do it justice but you can get the idea. In the photos you will see guests from all over including CA. This really is a big deal as demonstrated by family flying in from all over just to celebrate a family member's quinceañeros.

¡Feliz quinceañeros Wendy!