For the inauguration of “Pondering Thoughts with Martin” I decided to go through the history of quinceanera. A quinceanera is a very big Mexican party thrown when a girl turns 15 which represents her turning into a woman. It originated in Mexico around the 5th century before christ.
Back then it meant that a woman was ready for marriage; nowadays that’s not the case. The first people who did quinceanera’s were the Mayans and Aztecs. Other people believed quinceanera’s were created with the mix of the Spaniards that came and the natives that were already there.
The celebration begins with a mass attended by the girl and her family and godparents. Mass is followed by a reception, or party, to which friends and relatives are invited. The reception features food, music, and dancing, with the girl accompanied by her court of damas and chambelánes. Traditionally, the dance portion of the quince includes a choreographed waltz-type dance that is prepared and is considered one of the main events of the evening.
Although the quince observance originally signified that the girl was prepared for marriage, the modern celebration is more likely to signal the beginning of formal dating. Thank you for reading the first edition of Pondering Thoughts with Martin, I hope you enjoyed it.