Are Traditions meant to be Broken?

Someone once said that "traditions are meant to be broken". But does this apply to a tradition celebrated for centuries in Latin America. A tradition where a young girl has a coming of age party. This coming of age party has crossed borders, oceans, frontiers and is now celebrated here in the United States.

The Quinceañero as most of you have come to know it, has evolved and changed in many ways since it's conception. The pink dress, the court made up of 14 girls and 14 boys, the changing of the shoe so on and so forth. But, are Quinceañero's still being celebrated in the same way as our mothers, grandmothers, and bis-abuelitas were. The answer is no, a lot of things have changed. So much so that it would take me months to describe all the changes. In the following section, I will discuss some of the major changes occurring in the Quinceañero celebration.

The most important item in a Quinceañero is the dress! The traditional pink dress is still the color most widely used, but it is becoming more common to see a quinceañera wear dresses in an assortment of colors. Today, the colors vary from blue, lilac, peach, red, white, turquoise and so many more. With colors, the sky is definitely the limit. Choosing the color of the dress is usually a decision made by the Quinceañera, her mother and closest relatives.

The religious ceremony before the ballroom party is a tradition that is slowly disappearing. There are several reasons for this disappearance. First, the reluctance of some churches and priest to celebrate a quinceanero for the birthday girls. Second, the decreasing participation of families in religious related activities, such as attending Sunday Mass. How will the disapperance of the religious ceremony affect the next generation of quinceañeras?

A tradition that started to change years ago and has rapidly continued to grow has been the celebration of a Quinceañero at the age of 16 - a Sweet Sixteen Party. The Sweet Sixteen Party has always been celebrated in the U.S. Although, originally the sweet sixteen parties were not as lavish as those of a Quinceañero. Today, as more Latinas are raised in the United States, a mix of traditions and customs have occurred leading to a revival of this old tradition. The sixteen candles, the changing of the shoes, the first dance with the father. They have all been mixed together to form one of today's newest traditions, where the birthday girls can choose to celebrate their coming of age party at the age of 15 or 16.

In closing, traditions are meant to be broken. They were put in place to share information, sustain the longevity of our culture, and to somehow maintain a connection between ancestors of the past and the young adults of the present. Today's generation must forge their own customs to ensure that as we continue to evolve, the connection still remains.

What will be the next tradition to change? Will it be a party for 14 year old boys that closely resembles a Quinceañero? Only time will tell.