At the outside of a Sweet 15 coming out party
held inside our Farmers Market building.
Is this the version of femaleness these teens are to emulate?
Last minute rehearsal before the performance inside.
Ah, those raging hormones, the drama of being young.
Such loveliness
I wonder what will become of them?
Will they get the support to become the powerful women
they have the potential to become?
The kind of women that will not need to conform,
but will be empowered to make their own choices,
(not hormone driven.)
As regards partnership,
will they chose based on shared values,
rather then short term attraction?
As regards motherhood,
will they be free to have kids, or not?
Will they make use of birth control?
As regards religion,
will they be allowed to believe or not,
will they truly own their own bodies?
As regards careers,
will they pursue an education, or not?
Will they have a choice to stay home or not?
Will they have partners that will want to share
in the work at home
in the raising of the kids?
I hope this little girl
will know her own loveliness
and will have the options
to create a life of her own choosing.
Individuation is a long, arduous and ongoing process.
This image off Interesting Factsss on fb
explains what was on my mind better then any words.
explains what was on my mind better then any words.
Quinceañera (lit. meaning One (f.) who is fifteen), sometimes called Fiesta de Quince Años, Fiesta de Quinceañera, Quince Años or simply Quince, is the celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday in parts of Latin America and elsewhere in communities of people from Latin America. This birthday is celebrated differently from any other birthday, as it marks the transition from childhood to young womanhood.[1] The celebration, however, varies significantly across countries, with celebrations in some countries taking on, for example, more religious overtones than in others.
ReplyDeleteIn Mexico, the birthday girl, known as the Quinceañera, is made-up with elegant makeup. Traditionally, this would be the first time she was to wear makeup, however this is usually no longer the case. The Quinceañera is also expected to wear a formal evening dress. Traditionally, the dress worn by the Quinceañera to this event is an evening ball gown.
ReplyDeleteIn the Mexican tradition - considering the teenager is Catholic - the Quinceañera celebration begins with a Thanksgiving mass.[2] For this mass, the teenager wears a formal dress. Conventionally, the Quinceañera wore a pink dress to symbolize her purity; however, in recent decades, white has become the preferred color. If the Quinceañera chooses, she may wear a white dress with personalized touches, including embroidery, pearls, sequins, or any other adjustment that would best reflect her sense of fashion.[2] She arrives to the celebration accompanied by her parents, godparents, and court of honor. The court of honor is a court of her chosen peers made up of paired off girls and boys, respectively known as "damas" and "chambelanes." Typically, there are fourteen or seven pairs "damas" and "chambelanes," which each literally translate to dames and chamberlains. At this religious mass, a rosary, or sometimes a necklace with a locket or pendant depicting the image of Mexico's patron saint the Virgin of Guadalupe, is awarded to the teenager by her godparents, such necklace having been previously blessed by the church clergy. She is also awarded a tiara. The symbolism behind the tiara is to serve as a reminder that to her loved ones, especially her immediate family, the Quinceañera will always be a princess, however some also see it as denoting she is a "princess" before God and the world. After this, the girl may leave her bouquet of flowers on the altar for the Virgin Mary.[2]
After the Thanksgiving mass, guests gather for a reception where the remaining celebratory events meant to honor the Quinceañera will take place, including the rendering of gifts. This reception may be held at the Quinceañera's home, at an events room, such as a dining hall, banquet hall, or casino, or in some cases publicly held, similar to a block party. During the reception, the birthday girl usually dances a traditional waltz with her "Chambelan de Honor," which is her chosen escort, and her court of honor.[2] Many times this section of the celebration is previously practiced and/or choreographed, oftentimes weeks in advance, sometimes even with months of anticipation.[2] The basic reception generally consists of six major parts,[3] with dances taking place while a traditional Mexican entree meal is served:
Traditionally, Mexican girls could not dance in public until they turned fifteen, except at school dances or at family events. Therefore, the Quincenera's waltz with the chamberlanes is the girl's first public dance ever.
Some families may choose to add ceremonial components to the celebration, depending on local customs, such as the ceremony of the Change of Shoes, in which a family member slips the Quinceañera with her first high heel shoes;
1. The formal entry - A grand entrance by the Quinceañera made once most guests have been seated.
2. The formal toast - An optional but usual part of the reception generally initiated by the parents or godparents of the birthday girl.
3. The first dance - Usually a waltz where the girl dances starting with her father.
4. The family dance - Usually a waltz involving just the immediate relatives, the "chambelanes", the godparents, and the closest friends of the girl.
5. The preferred song - Any modern song particularly preferred by the Quinceañera is played and danced.
6. The general dance - Also usually a waltz, where everyone dances to a musical waltz tune.
I am probably just old but I really don't like those three girls dressed up in tarty clothes. I did the same when I was young, I seem to remember.
ReplyDeleteGirls have all the choices they need nowadays, too many don't make use of them.
Feminism? They don't want it.