Has anybody organised a quinceañera/ sweet 16 for your DD?

[holidayblues25]

My DD decided she wants one, but I never had one (nor my DM for that matter). Do other kids get them? I don't know if it would be OTT for many.

It was very much a thing in DDs girl’s school when they all turned 16.

Massive hotel parties, glammed up in expensive dresses, showered with gifts - I found it all excessive and told DD we would most definitely not be going down the Sweet 16 route. That didn’t go down well but I stuck to my guns and am so glad I did. I love a party but really believe slipping in another major party before the 18/21/prom seasons just unhelpful in a cohort which seemed to be overly princessed anyway.

And in answer to your original question @holidayblues25 yes, why not?

Because I'm concerned the response would be similar to this post as in "WTF is that?" Although I think my DD can just explain she's having a big party

I hadn’t heard of a quinceanera until I saw this. I’m totally having one for my cats.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqphb_WM1rM

Reminds me of this music video I played on repeat during an angsty phase many years ago 😬. I think that is what's depicted in the video.

Yes that's the gist of it....

I just had my mates round with a couple of bottles of Lambrini when I turned 16 😅😂

LOL my cat had one .. she even had a dress!

If it’s part of your culture, then go for it, if your daughter wants one. It sounds like a sweet tradition and less mercenary than the Sweet Sixteen parties that are becoming more and more popular.

Have the party! Who doesn’t like a celebration?

i love the idea of celebrating the transition from childhood to womanhood, less keen on dads presenting their daughters to suitable men/boys
so that wouldn’t be something I’d do.
nor would I do the whole massive dress and make up thing.

“This birthday is celebrated differently from any other as it marks the transition from childhood to young womanhood.[2]Historically, in the years prior to their 15th birthdays, girls learned about cooking, weaving, and childbearing from the elder women in their communities in preparation for their future roles as wives. During the celebration the girl's father would present her to potential suitors.[3]”

Oh no they can be AS BAD . I remember going to one where they hired a nightclub and the tickets were a Shakira CD but she photoshopped her face onto the cover/sleeve . There were smoke machines, DJs, and you could take a +1!

I am Mexican-American and I didn't have a quinceñera or a sweet 16 party.

I now live in the US but I do have a half-English daughter and she didn't want either, as well. I asked her why and she said that although she has Mexican roots, she isn't as devout of a Catholic as you need to be in order to have a quinceñera and she doesn't feel as American as she would need to be to have a Sweet 16. I know that my English husband's family would find it odd in the US, never mind if we did either in England.

Personally, OP, I'd just have a party for your daughter in six months or next year.

IME 15s have absolutely nothing to do with being a devout Catholic. None of the ones I attended had a mass attached to it or anything like that. They are not religious event in the slightest (at least not in the environment I grew up in).

I wouldn't worry about the being presented to future suitors etc elements, because it will all be for the Gram/TikTok/whatever.

Ask her if she wants to learn weaving and cookery skills as a payoff for having one and see if the interest disappears.

No, I'm Mestizo, and neither of my daughters had interest in a large birthday party or religious celebrations when they turned 15 and I'm generally uncomfortable with traditions that are rooted in marking girls as of dateable age to the community.

If mine had had an interest, I would have considered it for them, but I would have included them learning some adult life skills (which is traditionally part of it, women passing on life skills now that a girl was coming to being 'of age') that they could enjoy showing alongside a big party.

I had an unsupervised party too with a live band (kids from my school). It was brilliant, almost 20 years before yours, Killer Queen was in the charts.

I'm in Scotland. A few of my pupils had Sweet Sixteens before I retired...I'm fairly certain that they got the idea from American tv shows.

But not here. So why cause more hassle and expense for parents?

I only opened this for the multiple comments re it being for a 15th birthday, not a 16th and boy, I was not disappointed! 🤣

Which was a reference (as more people would have heard sweet 16 as opposed to quinceañera and they're very similar)

Go for it. It sounds fun. Any excuse to party!

Lots of people around the world. Latin America ,Spain , Mexico.
Not really done in the UK

@holidayblues25

I don't know what parties you've attended but Quinceñeras most definitely have a religious attachment to them for Mexicans.

There is a mass that is done in her honor because it is a religious rite of passage. It is essentially a "thanks to God" for reaching the milestone and they commit to a Christian life. It is deeply ingrained within our culture.

Can you have one without it, probably but why bother? Just have a party.

It could be a lovely way for her to connect with her culture. You would be doing a party or something anyways, no? No harm in branding it ‘quinceanera party’. Obviously set parameters you are comfortable with as on social media they can become quite ott. If you have no family tradition this is a chance to define your own,

The ones of upper middle class Mexicans. Like I said none had masses. My nanny, the gardener, etc... they all had masses, so I would say it's a class thing (in Mexico and most likely very different outside of Mexico City too).