A 15th Birthday Bash

You may be familiar with the fact that in Mexico, a girl's 15th birthday is a very special occasion and is marked with a big party known as a "fiesta de quinceañera".  It can be a very elaborate and expensive event, comparable to a debutante ball in the U.S.  It represents a girl's passage from a childhood to womanhood.  Usually different family members and friends will be asked to be "godparents" who pay for different aspects of the party.

Our nephew Ezra was invited to the "quinceañera" party of one of his friends, and he received four tickets.  So, even though I do not know the girl or her family, I was included in the group along with Alejandro, his sister Sandra, and Ezra, that went to the birthday bash last Saturday.  

The invitation called for "formal attire", so Alejandro told me I had to wear a tie.  I can't remember the last time that I wore a tie.  Among the clothes that I brought to Mexico were a sport jacket, a couple pairs of dress pants, and several dressy shirts.  However, no neckties.  I was going to go tieless, but as we were preparing to leave, Alejandro gave me one of his ties.  When we got to the party I would say that at least half of the guys there were not wearing ties or even jackets.

It was a warm evening, and the party hall did not have air conditioning, so our jackets were quickly removed.

(The flashing, colored lights on the dance floor, gave the photos a strange hue.)

It was a large hall, and there were probably at least one hundred guests.

There was a live band, and Alejandro and Sandra took to the dance floor.

Supper was served, and, in formal Mexican style, there were three courses...  soup, "dry soup" (a pasta or rice dish) and the main course.  Later in the evening we were served cake, and after midnight we had "chilaquiles".  So, we were very well-fed.

In the old days, the "fiesta de quinceañera" was the first time that a young woman was seen dancing in public.  The birthday girl had many dances to perform.  There were dances with her father and various relatives, but she also did several highly choreographed dance routines (complete with costume changes) with her "chambelanes", her escorts.  The girl has one or more "chambelanes", which traditionally are chosen from her male relatives and friends.  However, it is becoming more common to hire professional dancers to be the "chambelanes".  Given the highly complicated choreography of the dances, I think that was the case here.  She spends months ahead of time rehearsing the dance routines.  There were four or five routines at this party.  It must be exhausting for the birthday girl.

As the night progressed, there was a stilt walker and someone dressed as a frog (!!) leading the dancing.

 

It was quite a party, although, as is often the case in Mexico, the music was so loud that conversation was impossible.  We left at 1 A.M., and the party was still going strong.