Back in the day of the Aztec Indians, when a girl turned 15 she would be considered ready for marriage. It’s now a tradition that is celebrated all over Mexico and Latin America. It’s typically celebrated with a party, a big beautiful dress and chambelanes dancing in front of the guests. Some girls still keep it traditional, and go to the church to have a religious ceremony regarding blessings and faith. Entering the court, the quinceanera girl will be accompanied by her court, her family and her godparents. 

However, COVID-19 affected many girls’ parties and celebrations. Some girls, like junior Diana Hernandez, were forced to reschedule their parties several times.

“I was planning my quince for almost two years,” Hernandez said. 

A big part of the celebration is the dress, so many enjoy the process of finding the perfect one. 

“My favorite part of the whole planning[of my quince] was probably looking for my dress,” Hernandez said. “I got to travel all the way to Austin, and [the dress is] a pretty big decision since it is what makes the entire party.” 

With preparation for the party, many spend all day and some of the next day on their Quinceañera.

“I had to wake up early at like six in the morning,” Junior Kenya Torres said. “The party ended at four in the morning.”

Torres’ family doubted celebrating the traditional way during COVID, but decided to give it a go to make a memory that will last forever.

“My favorite part of the entire party [was]the presents and spending time with my family,” Torres said. 

When things started to go back to normal it made some girls’ dreams to have a quince and celebrate with a big party come true. Sophomore Elvia Marrufo planned her quince after COVID without as many protocols. 

“[My family and I] planned it for a year,” Marrufo said. “The theme was westernish, and my dress was red.”

Quince dresses are known to be extravegant and the star of the party.

“To put on the dress was pretty hard. I had to change in the living room because my dress was so big and too puffy to fit in my room,” Hernandez said. 

However, the party girls weren’t the only ones to have a lot to do on the big day. The chambelanes have very important jobs throughout the party. They help set up, escort the princess, attend dance rehearsals and so much more.

“I contributed to Diana’s quince by being her main chambelan. She chose me because I was the most trustworthy and I’m her mom’s favorite,” Audias Ortega said. 

A quinceanera requires a lot of work into it, especially if you want to go all out. It’s a tradition that represents a young girl becoming a young lady, while making memories that will forever be cherished by the guest, the godparents, the parents, the chambelanes and most importantly of all… the birthday girl.