For my 15th birthday, my friends and I went to see The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 in theaters, and then we ate some yummy homemade pizza afterwards. It was a pretty normal American 15th birthday.
Here in Belize, the mestizo people (those of Mayan or Spanish heritage) often have a celebration called a quinceañera to celebrate a girl's 15th birthday. This past weekend, I attended my first quinceañera for one of my primary school students that graduated last year, Z. It is an honor to be invited to such an important celebration in someone's life.
The tradition that I learned about is a quinceañera (15 years). This event is the celebration of a girl's 15th birthday. The reason the 15th birthday is a big deal is because historically this birthday would mark the passage from girlhood into adulthood. I had heard of this tradition before, but I had never gotten to experience it first hand until now.
This tradition is both a religious and social celebration. It is an important event not just for the birthday girl but also her family, because it marks the start of her journey in society. The day of celebration usually starts with a mass that the girl, her family and her godparents attend.
