In Hispanic culture, the celebration of a 15th birthday marks a transition from childhood to adulthood, a milestone celebrated with pomp and flair. While traditionally centered around girls, boys sometimes partake in their own version of the festivity known as a Quinceañera.
The tradition is closely tied to the church as the Virgin Mary is thought to be 15 when she became pregnant with Jesus. The Quinceañera is the center of attention through church, dances, dinner and a late night party.
“You’re committed to the girl for that day. It’s something we do out of respect,” said Alan Zacarias, who has played the role of chamberlain in two Quinceañeras. The girls invited to participate with the Quinceañera are called damas.
Ashlen Yarita Sanchez celebrated her Quinceañera with a mariachi theme, which was more traditional and old-fashioned than some.
“I always wanted Mariachi when I was little,” she recalled. She and her family spent about two months planning the event. “It’s the only time you get to do something big.” 
Anna Ramirez-Ramirez held her Quinceañera in March 2023 with a baby blue color theme featuring five chamberlains and five damas. “It was very stressful. It is really nice, but it’s very stressful,” she said.
Anna’s Quinceañera included a cake that had 15 tiers and the party lasted until 5 a.m.
The Quinceañera and her chamberlains and damas, each dressed according to the theme, all have to learn special dances that are typically choreographed by professionals. The Quinceañera also has to give a speech during the mass and the parents speak during the party. Formal photo shoots capture the elegance of the event.
Sometimes the traditions and order of events change based on the family’s home country. In Honduras, the father changes the girl’s shoes from comfortable shoes to high heels and the mother places a crown on her head. In Mexico, the opposite is true.
Grace Oliva will celebrate her Quinceañera in May. It took a little convincing, but she ultimately decided to participate in the cultural rite of passage.
“At first I didn’t want to do it, but you only have this opportunity once,” she said. CCHS alum Didi Davila is decorating the party hall as well as choreographing the dances for Grace’s Quinceañera. “It will be fun, but stressful,” she said with a smile.
Grace’s mother, Yesica Chirinos, is a Honduran native and did not have a Quinceañera. “It’s like a big happy party at church,” she said. She also explained that people always arrive late as part of the custom - a fact CCHS ESL teacher Cheri Mann discovered the hard way.
“I got there at 4:30 for my first one and it was empty,” she said with a laugh. Mann has attended several of the special parties and enjoyed celebrating with her students and their families.
During the party portion, the Quinceañera is led into the hall by her family and her court of honor. The girl has a special seat at the front of the hall, typically an oversized chair reminiscent of a Queen’s throne. The girl will sit in this chair while her shoes are changed, another symbol of moving from childhood to adulthood.
Sometimes things don’t go as planned even though the events are choreographed in great detail. “The big dress didn’t work out with the big chair for me,” recalled Hilary Sanchez-Xool. “I had to fold it up like a taco.”
Hilary is another one who wasn’t sure she wanted the special festivities, noting she was the first girl in her family to have a Quinceañera. “It was a fun experience. It was very emotional for me,” she said.
Hilary chose a hunter green dress that was meaningful to her because it’s her favorite color. “I was going to do baby blue, but didn’t like Cinderella. Then I saw the green dress, which is my favorite color. It made it special so it wasn’t just a random color,” she said.
Each of the girls performed special dances, but Hilary’s was one of the more memorable. She and Cristian Roque performed the iconic scene from Dirty Dancing where Johnny lifts Baby into the air. Hilary recalled it took a few tries before the pair could complete the lift, but they mastered it for the big day.