How We Celebrate Quinceañeras at Casa Bernabé
One of the most cherished rites of passage in a girl's life in Guatemala is a quinceañera, a special party to celebrate her 15th birthday and mark her transition from childhood to young adulthood. Specific quinceañera traditions vary by country and region throughout Latin America, and over the years Casa Bernabé has established our own traditions to celebrate our girls' special milestones.
Growing up in Guatemala, no matter what circumstances they've come from, girls expect to have a special celebration for their 15th birthday, so we make sure they are each celebrated and honored by the family God has provided at Casa Bernabé.
After years of anticipating the party and thinking about themes and color choices, the planning begins. A few weeks before the party, the birthday girl goes into the city and spends the morning choosing her dress with her house mom and Tony, who often takes the role a father or grandfather would traditionally take in the ceremony.
Each girl invites 40 people to her party–her whole house plus another 10-15 guests of her choice out of anyone on campus (school friends, teachers, mentors, etc.) Making the guest list is always one of the most anticipated parts of the party planning, and it's considered a big honor to be invited to a quince. One of the best parts of growing up at Casa Bernabé is getting to be part of a large family, so each quinceañera feels like a huge family celebration.
Everyone works together to transform the church space to match whatever colors and theme the birthday girl chooses. She also gets to pick the meal, and her house parents work with other helpers to cook her favorite food to share with everyone.
Tony teaches each birthday girl how to waltz ahead of her party, and he dances the first dance that the father would normally dance with each girl. If she has biological siblings they will also be involved in the ceremony, and her brother may dance with her too.
The morning of the party is spent on last minute preparations and getting ready, often in our campus Salon de Belleza. Many of our teen girls have taken cosmetology classes as part of the Vocational program, so they often help each other get ready, similarly to how teenagers prepare for prom in the United States.
The party begins with the birthday girl being escorted in by her house parents and biological siblings. The pastor and his wife normally come to all the quinceañeras, and he usually shares a short message about becoming a mature woman of God. In most quinceañeras, there is a tradition of viewing the birthday girl as a princess for the day, but at Casa Bernabé we focus on the idea that as a daughter of the King, she has always been and always will be a princess. This celebration marks her transition toward young adulthood, but it does not change her relationship to God as her Father.
Other fun parts of the party sometimes include a ceremony where she changes her shoes from kids shoes to grown up shoes to symbolize her maturity. There is always an open microphone time when Sara and Edgar, the house parents, and friends can share about how special the birthday girl is and talk about what they love about her. Everyone takes photos, signs a guest book if she chooses, and makes sure to document the special memories to look back on later. They end the ceremony by praying over her and her future together as a group.
This year we have three girls turning 15, and their houses are already hard at work planning for their quinceañeras. Please be praying for this special time in each of our girls' lives. Pray that they would feel extra loved and surrounded by community, especially during a milestone they would normally be sharing with their biological families. Please also pray for wisdom and maturity for each girl, and pray that she will grow to seek God's will for her future.
