Monday, September 10, 2012

A Story of My Life: Coming of age parties

Tonight at mass, we had a young girl celebrating her quince a?os or 15 years. It's a traditional Hispanic celebration where a girl of 15 becomes a young women.

Well, it's traditional in many Hispanic cultures and something many Hispanics do but I certainly didn't.

I witnessed the mass part of a Quincea?era and I have to saw that if that's all it really is, I don't really see the point of having one in the first place. All that happened during the mass was that the girl renewed her baptism promises and then said a special prayer of thanks in Spanish. That's it.

Perhaps I don't really know much about what happens but for me, it doesn't seem like much. Look just because I'm Hispanic, doesn't mean I know everything about things that my culture does.

I realize that a lot of times, a Quincea?era has a mass that isn't part of the normal Saturday mass so that's probably why this one seemed different. Perhaps at a separate mass, there is more involved. Also, I do know that a Quincea?era involves a big party though in addition to a mass. The party to me seems more important. I know there are traditional things that are supposed to be done at a party.I also know that a Quincea?era involves asking some guys and girls to be part of a special court or something. But I have no other information than that. I don't know what these traditional things are or anything.

The point is that I don't really understand the point of the whole thing to begin with.?

I remember when I was 15 my parents asked me if I wanted a Quincea?era. I said no. They didn't really push it on me either.? While we are Hispanic, we've never really stuck to that part of our culture if that makes sense. In other words, we didn't exactly ignore our Hispanic culture but we didn't celebrate it all that much. I mean we didn't really celebrate traditional Mexican holidays or anything nor did we speak Spanish at home. My parents have said they regretted not speaking Spanish at home when my brother and I were growing up. Honestly though, I didn't mind and still don't mind. They raised us the way they wanted to raise us.

I never really grew up knowing what a Quincea?era was nor did I ever seem to want one.? By the time I was old enough, I knew somewhat what it involved but I didn't want one. My parents considered it a waste of money really but they still asked.

Similarly to a Quincea?era, many girls have a Sweet 16 party which is just as big it seems in American culture as the Quincea?era is in Latin American culture. However, once again when I was 16 my parents asked me if I wanted a big party and again I turned it down.

I did have a cousin who at first was going to have a? Quincea?era but then ended up having a Sweet 16 party instead.?

I just really wasn't interested in such big coming of age parties. Sure I had parties but they were smaller and just with a few friends. When I was younger, I had a couple big parties where I invited all my classmates. But that was of course when I was younger.

When I got older I just didn't have nearly as big of parties. In fact, the last actual party I had was when I was turning 13 or 14. It was a bowling party and it was just a few of my friends that were invited.?? After that party, I just had a small party at home with my family. I didn't really even want a party with my friends. Of course there was? also the fact that I didn't really have that many friends anymore.

For me, the idea of such big parties as a Quincea?era or a Sweet 16 were just daunting; impractical.
They both involved inviting a bunch of people. For me, I could see where a Quincea?era would be alright because that? seems to be more of a family thing anyways unlike with a Sweet 16 party.

I'm sure if I'd had a Quincea?era, many of my relatives would have come. But supposedly you also have to have some sort of court thing with guys and other girls. Friends mostly.
The thing is that I didn't have many friends in the first place and if I'm supposed to have a certain amount (7 pairs according to Wikipedia), I would have a hard time finding enough people to meet the amount. I don't know that many people. I didn't even have that many friends that were guys! I only had 1 or 2 that I really considered friends!

As for a Sweet 16 party, to me that also seems to involve a ton of people. That one seems to be more a party for friends if you have a lot of friends which I definitely didn't.? I was never popular to have a lot of people to invite to things. I realize it might not have mattered. I could have just had a small celebration with a few close friends. But I didn't and I didn't seem to want one.

I guess the thing is that after awhile, I started preferring celebrations with my family rather than with my friends. That's still the way it is today.? I'd much rather celebrate with my family and I do. In my family we try to celebrate everyone's birthday by doing something special. I love my family celebrations. I guess I always have even when? I had parties with my friends.

Now being that I'm away from home, I try to do special things to celebrate by myself. I usually treat myself to a couple meals and go out for dessert. Most of the time, the meals are paid for with money sent to me by family and close family friends.?? That's just how I do it now.

Again, I don't have anyone to celebrate with otherwise things might be different. I don't have any friends close by to celebrate with.

I guess I just don't see the point of such big celebrations as Quincea?era or a Sweet 16 party. Not unless you are really into cultural tradition or if you really have a reason to.

Source: http://bookworm388.blogspot.com/2012/09/coming-of-age-parties.html

obama birth certificate nick cannon lindsay lohan saturday night live snl lindsay lohan valley fever project x the lorax

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.