This past weekend was quite an enjoyable, and an adventurous one.
Not only had I been invited to my friend’s little sister's, quinceañera, I was asked to perform in it. To those who are not aware, a quinceañera is the celebration of a girl's 15th birthday, in parts of Latin America and elsewhere. This birthday is celebrated differently from any other, as it marks the transition from childhood to young womanhood. I was very excited to be a part of and experience this important cultural milestone in this family’s life.
My friends and I had departed to Dallas on Friday afternoon where my friend, Enrique, resided. I met his family, who spoke almost entirely all Spanish, and things started to seem somewhat familiar, to what I didn’t know at the time, but I was soon to figure it out. We ran errands for the quinceañera as soon as we had gotten there, and I had truly underestimated how much work that it actually was. That creeping sense of familiarity had returned but had still not revealed itself to me as to what was so familiar about everything, and I continued on with the day. We ended the day by helping Enrique’s family set up at the hall they had reserved for the quinceañera. By midnight, all the tables and decorations were positioned, the food was ready to go, and the drinks were all in the process of cooling down for the next night.
Saturday morning came sooner than we thought, and as I woke, the family was rushing to get ready for our limo to take us through Dallas to take pictures. The women we’re dressed beautifully, while putting on their makeup and speaking Spanish too fast for me to comprehend. The men had put the finishing touches on their suits as well as their hair. The limo had arrived along with a photographer and we had our pictures taken one by one. We then proceeded to drive to downtown Dallas to the Pioneer Plaza Cattle Drive and take pictures by the statues, then to the hall to make final preparations for the evening.
As the night continued, the realization of what felt so familiar about the entire event became clear to me. It was similar to the Indian cultural events I've witnessed for my entire life - the preparation of everything, from the hall to the food. The moment of clarity I had, gave me an extreme sense of comfort, realizing that I was genuinely at home with these people I had never met in my entire life. Of course, there were many differences, but the fact that I was able to find similarities between Indian and Mexican cultures was incredibly humbling. I had discovered that cultures of any kind for any celebration are bound to be linked in one way or another.
I had eaten, danced, laughed and truly enjoyed my time at this quinceañera. It was a time of great happiness and I was extremely honored to be a part of my friend and his family's special day. If I were ever offered to attend another cultural event, you can bet that I would definitely take them up on it.
