La Quinceañera
Celebrating a Girl's Fifteenth Birthday

A girl's fifteenth birthday is a big event throughout most of Latin America, a day to celebrate her coming of age as a woman with family and friends, and a fantastic party.

Read the article in Spanish several times, then check your understanding in the English translation below it.

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Quinceañeras

Las quinceañeras son las adolescentes que tienen, fundamentalmente, dos cosas en común: La edad y el sueño de tener una fiesta de 15 fantástica.

Desde que son chicas las mujeres empiezan a soñar con el día en que cumplen 15 años: El vestido, los zapatos, el maquillaje, el pelo, el salón, la comida, las tarjetas de invitación, el souvenir… Todo tiene que ser perfecto, soñado.

Algo interesante es tener un show, para divertir a los invitados. Pero lo más importante para las quinceañeras son sus amigos: Toda quinceañera necesita que sus amigos estén con ella en su día, la fiesta es planeada para los jóvenes.

La planificación de la fiesta en general empieza un año antes, y toda la familia forma parte. Tan importante es esta tradición en algunos países, que por ejemplo, en Argentina, existe un programa de TV dedicado a darle a las quinceañeras todo lo que soñaron para la fiesta.

Aunque hace ya varios años está creciendo una nueva tendencia entre las quinceañeras: En vez de pedir una fiesta para sus 15, las chicas optan por irse de viaje, con la familia o con amigas, para festejar sus 15 de una manera nueva y divertida. El destino más codiciado es Disney, pero también muchas chicas elijen Miami, Europa y México.

Fifteen-year-old girls

Fifteen-year-old girls are teenagers who essentially have two things in common: The age and the dream of having the most amazing fifteenth birthday party ever.

From the time they are little girls, women start to dream about the day of their fifteenth birthday: The dress, the shoes, the make-up, the hair, the reception room, the food, the invitation cards, the souvenir… Everything has to be just perfect, heavenly.

An interesting thing is to have a show to amuse the guests. But the most important thing for the girls is to have their friends around: Every fifteen-year-old girl needs her friends to be with her on her day, the party is made for the kids.

The party planning starts one year before the party day, and the whole family takes part. This tradition is so important in some countries that, for example, in Argentina there`s a TV show dedicated to giving fifteen-year-old girls everything they ever dreamed about for their party.

In the past few years though, there’s a growing new trend among fifteen-year-old girls: Instead of wanting a party to celebrate their fifteenth birthday, the girls choose to go on a trip with friends or with their families, a new, fun way to celebrate sweet fifteen. The most coveted destination is Disneyland, but a lot of girls also choose Miami, Europe and Mexico.

Note: La Quinceañera is celebrated mostly throughout Latin America. Also known as: Quince años or just Quince.

Vocabulary

Quince años = fifteen years
las quinceañeras = fifteen-year-old girls
los quinceañeros = fifteen-year-old boys; slang: guys that act like 15-year-olds
los/las adolescentes = teenagers, adolescents (m/f)
la planificación = planning; family planning
el maquillaje = makeup
festejar = to celebrate, to rejoice in
codiciado (adj) = coveted; something that causes greed.

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La Quinceañera - Fifteenth Birthday Party for girls
*Article written by: Hernan Gladiali

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