 A leap of faith
Religion has always played a key role in the quinceañera celebration; the girl is growing in her faith and taking a larger role in both her religious community, as well as her social community. A “Misa de acci'n de gracis,” or thanksgiving mass, is celebrated, where the girl expresses her gratitude to her family and friends for their love and support. The girl is also presented to her parish as a new adult member.
While the basic mass doesn’t change, there are some additional elements. The court of honor and the quinceañera enter in a processional. Girls can have a short coronation ceremony, with the quinceañera’s mother or godmother placing a tiara on her. Some enter the church carrying their “Last Doll,” a gift meant to symbolize leaving childhood, which they exchange for a bouquet of flowers before taking their seat of honor for the mass.
Shared blessings
The priest discusses virtue and faith during the homily, relating the Bible readings to the girl’s new position and responsibilities in her church community. Close relatives and friends are chosen to read the Bible passages. The priest will bless a Bible, rosary and other gifts to be given to her later at the party that evening. At the end of the service, the quinceañera leaves her bouquet of flowers at the altar as a gift.
Hispanics were once almost always Catholic, but that is now changing. Today non-Catholic quinceañeras are substituting other religious services for the traditional mass. “Sometimes there's a religious ceremony, but it’s not a mass,” says Sylvia Solheim, owner of Quinceanera-Boutique.com. “Really, anything that shows the importance of faith to the girl, is fine.”
The special participants
Some girls have quinceañera godparents. Unlike the padrinos who help to sponsor the event, these are godparents in the true sense. While the godparents that were with her at her baptism or confirmation might be asked to renew their commitment to the girl’s spiritual life, some girls choose a different set of quinceañera godparents. “If there’s a special person in your life, a role model for you, having them become a godparent for your quinceañera is one way to recognize that close relationship,” says Isabella Wall of BellaQuinceañera.com.
Olivia Flores Alvarez is the editor of BravoHouston!, an arts supplement to the Hispanic weekly newspaper Semana News. She regularly covers Latinos in entertainment for other Texas based publications, including the Houston Press newspaper and OutSmart Magazine. Olivia is also a contributing reporter for the KPFT Evening News, a Pacifica radio network affiliate. |
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