Foo - So I went to a Quinceañera today...

As a gringo this is not a type of event I get much opportunity to attend, so when the family across the street invited us we were pretty psyched. They are great folks, big family, friendly, etc. Not much English, and my Spanish is poor but we managed to communicate OK.

We watched them getting ready in the morning, doing photos, video, etc. before they got into the limousine for a more formal photo/video shoot. The actual fiesta didn't begin until later in the evening.

We arrived in time to partake of some great food: carnitas, ensaladas and all the fixin's, to the tune of a loud DJ. Soon it was time for a small ceremony for the quinceañera herself, accompanied by her chambelanes in a kind of dance/serenade thing. Family members and friends approached to dance with the quinceañera throughout.

Then things kind of died down and the banda took the stage. Wow! Raucous! Everybody got up to dance with plenty of hooting and hollering, making one heck of a racket. It was grand -- horns, Sousaphone, drums, and loud! My daughters were first a bit scared of the loud music, but soon got in on the dancing and celebration. Their blond hair made them stick out like sore thumbs but no one seemed to care, we were all having a good time.

We left well before it ended; our daughters were getting worn pretty thin and we had to concede that we simply couldn't party as hard as we used to :) All in all, it was a very fun time, one of those cool "cultural exchange" things that I hope we will get an opportunity to do again some time.

Thanks for reading.

Very Nice! I work with many Puerto Rican peeps and love the culture - and the FOOD! Bring a dish to work days are awesome - however some people are regulated to bring in the special fare - Beans and rice, plantains, etc - yum!!!!

Did you bring me back some mofungu? Mmmm....me loves mofungu.

No mofungu at this event; they are of Mexican descent.

I was promised some leftover torta though. And I'm guessing there will be some extra carnitas, too.

I'm performing in my second cotillion THIS YEAR (aka debutante ball, aka the Filipino version of a quinceanera) in September.

The first one's dances consisted of waltz, mazurka, and tinikling. The one coming up is waltz, merengue, swing, and tinikling. I don't usually like to perform, but it's sooo fun :)
I tell my friends about em, and they complain about not having cultural events as awesome.

Anyway, pics here (http://www.almostlame.com/gallery/v/2007/JeanineCotillion/)

I've never been to a quinceanera, does it pretty much the same?

Same idea I think, but probably a lot of different details. I'm no expert on these :) but I gather that they vary considerably.

I forgot to mention one detail of the ceremony which was the presentation of la ultima muñeca, "the last doll", which is literally the girl's last baby-doll that she receives. The doll itself was almost life-size and fully decked out in a formal gown. I thought that was pretty cool symbolism.

Nice! When I was on Guam I had the opportunity to attend several fiestas, and it was so cool to see how people really CELEBRATED! Maybe it's partly because I grew up geographically separated from most of my large family, but this was something I'd never seen before.

We know how to get down.

I loved attending the Fiestas in Spain while I lived there, I only wish I had what it took to be so full of life. I am just a wallflower, but attending these parties was something to remember.
I went to Mexico a couple of years back and my host lady got up and danced in the street to Mariachi (sp) music, she asked me to join but my white anglo blood just froze in the heat. :)
Steven

I bet that if your hostess had looked like Sophia Vargara, you would have been out there in the streets barefoot dancing on broken glass! :D White blood my ass! There are plenty of white latinos, some are even blonde.



Get out there and shake your thang. Life is fleeting.

I married a Puerto Ricania a couple of years ago. My white @ss has never had so much fun!!
:D:D:beer::beer::roflmao::roflmao::D:D


Everyone needs to have some Spanish in their lives. Just watch Sabado Gigante on Saturday night. You will see what I mean.

No mofungu at this event; they are of Mexican descent.

I was promised some leftover torta though. And I'm guessing there will be some extra carnitas, too.

I read Tude's post and was thinking Puerto Rican. LOL

Everyone needs to have some Spanish in their lives. Just watch Sabado Gigante on Saturday night. You will see what I mean.

+10000. And telenovelas- they're awesome! (And no, I don't mean Ugly Betty. although that's sort of close.) I'm a poor gringo (poor because I wasn't brought up around Latinos- my loss), but I've made lots of Latino friends over the years and traveled to Mexico and South America- lovely, lovely people!

Brown people know how to party. I love being one of them.

Brown people know how to party.
Word.



I love being one of them.
Me too (in spirit, ha ha!)

I went to a hispanic celebration this year and the dancing was just beautiful to watch. They had organized dancers from a wide variety of latin american countries, with the outfits to match. What a joy!
I teach spanish in my high school and I offered to get my spanish class involved, I was really pumped up and ready to get involved. I told my spanish class they could show up and take in the festivities for extra credit, they just had to look me up and let me know they were there. :) They didn't even have to hang out with the old guy.
Unfortunatly one of my students was acosted (male) by a gang banger and my school is now only considering getting involved.
I still want to encourage my students to get into it.
By the way, if you have ever seen me dance you really might not want me to do it again.

Vaya con Dios.
Steven

I love Telemundo for the same reason I love women's tennis:

Free porn

My sister and I are 3d generation and only half-Mexican at that (our dad's family is Irish) so we're about as assimilated as it gets.

But there's something about the fiestas and the holidays and the rituals.... It's the food mostly, the chiles and the tortillas and the frijoles. The tamales and the almond cookies at Christmas. The pinatas at birthday parties (and not those crappy cardboard ones, I'm talking about the ones with terra cotta pots in the middle that explode into a million shards when you hit it right).

My mom still hasn't forgiven my sister for refusing to have a quinceanera.

Is the quinceanera a regional celebration, or does it originate from a particular country? I don't remember ever hearing about it when I lived in Spain.

It sounds like a lot of fun.

Is the quinceanera a regional celebration, or does it originate from a particular country? I don't remember ever hearing about it when I lived in Spain.

It sounds like a lot of fun.

I've only heard of them happening over here...

Is the quinceanera a regional celebration, or does it originate from a particular country? I don't remember ever hearing about it when I lived in Spain.

It sounds like a lot of fun.

My impression is that it's a New World kind of thing. Here's what Wikipedia has to say: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinceanera, not that it's the supreme authority but seems to match what people have been saying here, as well as my own observations.

My only exposure up to now has been from "Postcards from Buster" or something like that, when my kids were watching it (honest!) :) The real deal was way better!

I married a Puerto Ricania a couple of years ago. My white @ss has never had so much fun!!
:D:D:beer::beer::roflmao::roflmao::D:D


Everyone needs to have some Spanish in their lives. Just watch Sabado Gigante on Saturday night. You will see what I mean.

lol ya really. i know a band that sings a spoof song entitled; "When I watch the spanish channel I touch myself" it's really funny

i'm so white i'm translucent and i've dated two puerto rican women. growing up 'round these parts (CT cities) you can't help but fall in love with them.

I grew up on the Texas/Mexico border (Rio Grande Valley) and as one of 104 non-hispanics in a high school of over 3000 students, I had the blessing of going to many a quincenera. I congratulate you on your first experience! They are a really neat experience