A few Saturday's ago we celebrated the quinceañera of one of the girls in the refuge. She had already turned 15, but never was given a party, so El Pozo de Vida decided to throw her one. Celebrating the 15th birthday of a young women here in Mexico is still a very big deal and remains a part of the cultural tradition, even as it has become more common for the girls to ask for a trip or just to receive the money that would have been spent on the party instead. If you’ve never been to a quinceañera, think of a wedding and minus the groom. It’s the biggest birthday party you’ve ever seen, including a presentation of the birthday girl, choreographed dances, and sometimes even some kind of ceremony in the church. They even normally have their friends and family members, like cousins, accompany them, kind of like bridesmaids and groomsmen.
The significance of the young lady turning 15 is that she is no longer a little kid, but becoming a young adult. It’s her presentation into young adulthood. On any given day in the city, you can go to some of the big landmarks and see a young girl in a colorful princess dress, big and poufy, with her friends by her side and taking professional pictures, celebrating her quince.
So on this Saturday, while it might have looked a little different than the normal quince, and was on a smaller scale, it still meant a lot to this girl to have this experience. First she came down the stairs and was presented to us by her “chambelanes” or the two guy friends that escorted her. She looked stunning in a strapless, light pink, sparkly, corset dress. They then danced together, as different important men in her life, like the director of El Pozo, cut in and took a turn.
She then did a quick change out of her big skirt into black leggings to dance two choreographed dances with the other girls in the refuge. They did so good and it was so cool to see how much fun they were having and how excited they were to be a part of this with Eli. I had seen them practice the dances a million times, but their smiles never got old.
She then changed back into her skirt as some people recorded sweet video messages for her. After coming back down, she was presented with 4 gifts, each had a special significance. The first was a Minnie Mouse doll, so that she wouldn’t forget her innocence and playfulness from being a kid. The next was a crown, to remind her she is a princess of God. She was then given 15 flowers, each one signifying a year in her life and representing that she is blossoming into a beautiful young woman. She was then given a pillow, so that she would remember to keep dreaming.
For me, these gifts meant everything. She was being affirmed in who she is, and being encouraged as she grows into who she will become. All that happened in her past was forgotten in those moments, and she was just a 15 year old girl, having the time of her life, being told how special she is.
There was then more dancing, snacking, laughing and just enjoying celebrating this young girl. I was so happy I got to share in this afternoon with her and the other girls at the refuge. We had such an awesome time and I hope for many more moments like these with them. What a blessing it was to celebrate with them.
The picture shown is from my host sister, Aiko's quince last year. They said the party went until like 4 a.m, she had live music and a DJ, and she even danced and sang to a few songs with her friends. From the pictures and videos I saw, it was the party of the year. I even told her I want to throw a quince for when I turn 23 this summer! She was on board.