On April 12, Latinx Unidos (LU) held a vibrant quinceañera celebration, a traditional cultural event that celebrates the coming of age of a woman. Quinceañera celebrations date back to more than a thousand years ago and are rooted in Mesopotamian traditions, more specifically to Aztec and Mayan indigenous cultures. Over the years, the celebration has evolved to fit modern trends and continues to grow in complexity, involving core values of family, faith, heritage and community.
In a traditional quinceañera celebration, a carriage with horses or a party bus takes the girl turning 15 and her court of honor composed of damas (ladies) and chambelanes (escorts) to church. After the religious service, it is common for the quinceañera and her court to have a photoshoot and cruise around to fun places, showing the community she lives in that she has officially become a woman.
Preparations begin when the girl is still very young, and the parents start to put away a percentage of their monthly salary for the celebration. During this process, the mother and daughter work on putting together large vision boards, choosing a theme and finding the perfect dress.
LU president Santiago Miranda recalled feeling ambitious as he began planning the quinceañera in January since he wanted to showcase an authentic quinceañera. To achieve his goal, Miranda incorporated all of the typical elements that made it feel like a real celebration. This way, the Augustana community could fully experience the cultural significance and joy of celebrating a true quinceañera celebration.
“Despite our tight budget, we wanted to make sure that we included customs such as the crowning ceremony, the gifting of the necklace and the last doll and the shoe changing ceremony,” Miranda said.
LU merch chair Noelia Avila never had a quinceañera, so this experience allowed her to live her dream. She turned 15 in 2019, months before COVID-19, and although she did have a small birthday celebration, it was far from what she and her family had planned.
“Quinceañeras typically have a mass of thanksgiving where the young woman renews her baptismal vows and becomes an adult in the eyes of the church while also renewing her faith,” Avila said. “Tonight, you’ll experience a similar night to what I and many other girls would have done on their special day.”
The party began when the court of honor, composed only of chambelanes, was introduced onto the dance floor. Each chambelan was presented individually to their favorite song, showcasing their signature dance steps as they made their way to the dance floor. At the end of the introductions, the quinceañera, LU secretary Amy Arteaga, left everyone astonished as she confidently walked into the room in her glamorous, peach, ruffled dress, enhanced with a corset full of rhinestones.
“A woman should celebrate herself every day,” Arteaga said. “That is the message that quinceañera celebrations send. It is also the reason why we decided to get a throne that would highlight the quinceañera and remind people that the event is all about the girl transitioning into womanhood.”
The dinner buffet included a range of Mexican dishes, including carnitas, chicken mole, beans, red rice, cactus salad and coditos salad. For some guests, this was their first time experiencing authentic Mexican food.
“Food was one of the first things that came to our minds as we thought about our budget because it connects people but also because it is one of the most important factors in quinceañeras,” Miranda said. “These kinds of events tend to have very fancy food options, and we tried to imitate them as best as we could.”
The peak of the night arrived when the quinceañera and her chambelanes surprised everyone with their energized dance moves to a mix of trendy and traditional songs that made everyone tap their feet under the table.
“We are really proud of how the dances turned out,” Arteaga said. “We practiced for two weeks every day, so it was very intense, but in the end, it was worth it because it helped us have a very successful performance.”
As if the quinceañera couldn’t get any more realistic, the party didn’t end until the DJ played the last song. Guests were satisfied with the event, and many said they look forward to seeing quinceañeras become a yearly tradition on campus.
“Many people had heard of a quinceañera before but had never gone to one,” Miranda said. “I hope that LU was able to give the Augustana community a taste of what one is actually like.”