Traditions with a Twist

Bringing families together
Blended families mean that some girls have a father and a stepfather, a mother, and a stepmother. While it can be awkward to decide who escorts the quinceañera, who makes what speeches and the like, girls are finding innovative ways to deal with those situations, creating new traditions in the process. Sylvia Solhiem of Quinceanera-Boutique.com says, “If something works for the girl and her family, it doesn’t matter what previous traditions have been.”

For example, during the party, the girl usually has a “first dance” with her father. If she has a father and stepfather, she might dance with them both. Even a grandfather, godfather, older brother, or anyone who has played an important role in her life, might share that first dance.

An online event
Web sites are quickly supplementing newspaper announcements as the newest quince twist. Girls post their invitation, photos, the names of their padrinos and attendants and, often, a wish list for gifts online. And that’s not all: Many girls are shopping for their dresses, accessories, decorations and even cakes on the web. Chain stores and other shops that cater to the quinceañera market have added web sites, but some boutiques exist only online.

Sweet 16s
Solheim says she’s noticed another twist on quinceañera tradition, the sweet 16 party. "One of the interesting trends that I’ve seen is families doing a quince-like celebration when the girl turns 16. Maybe so the girl will be a little more mature; maybe because it gives the family another year to save up for the expense of such a big party. We’re seeing that a lot now.”

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.