Quinceanera: Latin America’s centuries-old coming-of-age party

In parts of Latin America, Quinceañera is a ceremony celebrating a girl’s fifteenth birthday. This birthday is celebrated differently from any other as it marks the transition from childhood to young womanhood. Daniela Santos Torres, 15, waits in a classic American car with her father Ivan Santos to ride to her quinceanera party in the town of Punta Brava near Havana, Cuba on Dec 20, 2015. (AP)

Updated on: Dec 29, 2015 7:07 PM IST

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In parts of Latin America, Quinceañera is a ceremony celebrating a girl’s fifteenth birthday. This birthday is celebrated differently from any other as it marks the transition from childhood to young womanhood. Daniela Santos Torres, 15, waits in a classic American car with her father Ivan Santos to ride to her quinceanera party in the town of Punta Brava near Havana, Cuba on Dec 20, 2015. (AP)

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As per myths and legends of Latin America, girls were prepared to be married or become nuns. A soft drink vendor smiles as he watches Amanda Teresa Betancur, who lives in Cuba, ride in a classic American convertible, on her way to her quinceanera party in Havana, Cuba on December 13, 2015. The daughters of workers in Cuba’s emerging private sector are helping fuel business. With the economic reforms, many families on the island now have extra cash to spend for quniceanera celebrations. (AP)

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In the olden times, prior to their fifteenth birthday, girls would be trained in cooking, weaving, and about child rearing by the elder women of the communities. Barbara Concepcion takes pictures of her daughter Amanda Teresa Betancur, who lives in Cuba, before her quinceanera party in Havana, Cuba on December 13, 2015. In the past, quinceanera photos typically featured girls in poufy dresses and crowns. But at many Havana studios, there are now punk-rock style sneakers and miniskirts among the rows of high heels and gowns. (AP)

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Amanda Teresa Betancur, 15, who lives in Cuba, practices her opening dance with her boyfriend Erick before her quinceanera party in Havana, Cuba on December 13, 2015. (AP)

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Ivan Santos removes the sandals of his daughter Daniela Santos Torres as part of a tradition in which fathers place heeled shoes on their daughters during her quinceanera party in the town of Punta Brava near Havana, Cuba on December 20, 2015. (AP)

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A doll and cake sit ready for the quinceanera party organised to celebrate Daniela Santos Torres’ 15th birthday (features before) in the town of Punta Brava near Havana, Cuba, December 20, 2015. Daniela left Cuba when she was 3, returning in December for her quinceanera photos and party. She now lives in Glendale, Arizona, where her father runs a home remodelling business. She said returning to Cuba for her celebration was “a dream”, allowing her to include her extended family and friends on the island. (AP)

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A classic American car sits decorated with balloons before taking Daniela Santos Torres, 15, to her quinceanera party in the town of Punta Brava near Havana, Cuba, December 20, 2015. (AP)