Growing up in a day

Growing up in El Paso, Texas I was smothered in Mexican tradition for the most part. One of these traditions was a Quienceanera. A Quienceanera was a celebration of a girls 15thbirthday. This tradition would consist of food, song, and dance. My family and I would always attend these celebrations together, but I didn’t understand the true meaning of the party until Iattended my cousin’s Quienceanera. 

All Quienceanera have some sort of father-daughter or guardian-daughter dance before the party begins, but at this particular Quienceanera I was watching my uncle dance with my cousin. While my uncle and cousin were dancing I noticed that my uncle started to tear up. I was astonished that he was crying because my uncle is known for appearing to be a very tough man. I looked to my grandmother, who was standing next to me, and asked her why he was crying. She began to explain the significance of the dance to me.

“Mijo, a Quienceanera is not just a party, but it is a representation of your cousin accepting the responsibilities of becoming a woman. This dance represents your tio’s last chance to look at your cousin as a little girl and to start viewing her as a woman. It is very hard for him to see his little girl as a woman in a day; this is a very emotional moment for your tio”.

When my grandmother explained to me how significant the dance was, I grew to comprehend what the Quienceanera represented and why my family and I made an appearance. We appeared to show our support for her becoming a woman, and us being there, we are acknowledging her great accomplishment. This celebration proved not just a party or a birthday, but the transformation of a girl to a woman.