By Daisy Morales, Social Media Editor

The big day is here. An astonishing scene of flowers, cakes, a crown and a glamorous gown can be seen. Everything is beautifully decorated, and as you look around it almost looks like a scene out of a fairytale, but for the birthday girl it’s more like a dream come true. 

One of the most iconic traditions in Hispanic culture is that of a quinceañera. These celebrations take place when a girl turns 15. They are a rite of passage celebration symbolizing the transition between childhood and adulthood.

“When a girl is turning 15, they’re becoming a young woman,” freshman Brittany Arreola-Estrada said. 

Arreola-Estrada turns 15 in December and is currently planning her big day. Celebrations like these take immense amounts of preparation, with deciding on a venue, booking musicians, getting decorations and shopping for clothes. 

While quinceañeras happening this year have the luxury of a somewhat-back-to-normal party, last year many girls had to either postpone or delay their lavish celebration with COVID-19 affecting large events.

Freshman Dulce Alfaro-Gonzalez just turned 15 and was able to celebrate her quinceañera on Nov. 20 alongside friends and family.

“I was really excited and then I was kind of stressed out and nervous,” Alfaro-Gonzalez said. “But it was really fun.”

Before the big day, Alfaro-Gonzalez had to pick a theme and dress. 

“My favorite color is yellow, so I wanted to have a yellow dress, and I wanted it to be a Disney princess, so I picked ‘Beauty and the Beast’ because of how it symbolizes that beauty is found on the inside,” Alfaro-Gonzalez said.

Alfaro-Gonzalez’s favorite thing was her princess gown, as it was bright and made her stand out. Throughout the night, she recalls dazzling in her dress. 

When people think of a quinceañera, they usually only think of girls with extravagant parties and big dresses, but there’s much more to a quinceañera. A ceremony is typically held before the actual party, where young girls receive gifts from their family. 

Alfaro-Gonzalez was no exception to this Hispanic tradition, as a jubilant ceremony was held before her party. Many special moments took place. Alfaro-Gonzalez was gifted with a watch, a pillow, a ring and a doll to symbolize her transition from childhood to womanhood and her devotion to God.

“The doll was the last doll I would have gotten, so it symbolizes me growing up, and the watch (symbolizes) my lifespan,” Alfaro-Gonzalez said.

At the quince party, it is also common for the quinceañera to do special dances called waltzes. She usually performs these with the help of her court. The court consists of maids of honor (damas de honor) and chamberlains (chambelanes). The quinceañera often chooses friends and family to be in her court.

One of Alfaro-Gonzalez’s dances stood out from the rest: a dance just with her chambelanes where they all lifted her up.

“I was actually nervous because I thought they were going to drop me because my dress was very puffy, but I was really happy that they did it,” Alfaro-Gonzalez said. 

Alfaro-Gonzalez enjoyed being able to honor her family’s traditions and the event made her proud of being Hispanic.

While these parties are a wonderful tradition, they can be stressful. Alfaro-Gonzalez experienced this firsthand, as the week before her celebration she was still struggling to have everything ready. 

“Everything has to be right and there has to be a schedule,” Alfaro-Gonzalez said. 

Despite her worries, things turned out fine for Alfaro-Gonzalez and she suggests that future quinceañeras not worry so much. 

“Everything turned out good, probably better than I thought it would be,” Alfaro-Gonzalez said. 

Arreola-Estrada will be celebrating her quinceañera this month, and along with Alfaro-Gonzalez, she acknowledged that this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  

 “I’m thankful for living 15 years and for my parents that have seen me grow up,” Arreola-Estrada said. 

These traditional celebrations explore the complex nature of maturing and the eventual transition into adulthood, but far beyond they leave a meaningful impact in the lives of young girls who celebrate it each year. 

 “In the end it is all worth it because it’s special and you’ll have some memories,” Alfaro-Gonzalez said. 

Junior Daisy Morales can be reached at 23moralesda04@daretolearn.org.