In Colombia, when a girl turns 15, she is believed to officially become a woman. This means that Colombians like to throw big celebrations to honor this important milestone.
In Colombia, a girl's 15th birthday is a huge celebration. There is a party called la fiesta de quince, which means "the party of 15". For these parties, the birthday girl (la quinceñera) wears a large, poofy princess dress in a bright color, and all the decorations at the party match her dress. Her parents invite tons of people--family, friends, neighbors, teachers, classmates, doctors, sometimes even politicians--because these parties are huge celebrations with lots and lots of people. Generally, the party begins with a reception, where the guests all take photos with the quinceñera. Next, the father of the quinceñera changes her shoes from flats to heels, or gives her a ring. This symbolizes the girl becoming a woman. She then dances the waltz with her father, and 14 other men, who all give her a rose. Next, they cut the birthday cake and her father makes a toast. After, they eat a large dinner, which is traditionally roasted pig (yes, they have dessert first!). The rest of the night, all the guests dance and have fun! There is usually a DJ or a band at these fiestas, which makes the dancing extra fun.
