Montes

Mis Quince Años
Amelia Elena Montes
By Lisa Montes

For our family, Amelia's quinceañera was "The Event of the New Millennium." It was the first quinceañera for Amelia's generation on both sides of our family. I did not grow up with my culture, and I celebrated my Sweet Sixteen in lieu of a Quinceañera, so it was an educating and enlightening event for me to have experienced my daughter's quinces. I learned a lot about myself, my values, my culture, my faith, and the value of the family unit.

It took us two years to plan and save for it. The thought that my daughter was about to start a new journey towards womanhood was scary for me, yet exciting.

Thanks to the book Quinceañera, by Michele Sauceda, we learned the true meaning of what the quinceañera is all about. Rooted in the history of our Hispanic ancestry, the quinceañera is not only a cultural celebration, it's a religious celebration as well. Amelia celebrated the gift of life God has given her. Preparing for her quinces deepened our faith in our church and allowed us to recommit ourselves to the Christian values of love, forgiveness, unity, mercy, justice, and peace. The Mass was the most meaningful segment of the whole day. Sure, we had a dinner and dance and got all dressed up like a wedding, but the Mass highlighted the day and set the tone for my daughter's life—it was the beginning of the rest of her life.

Two years before the quinceañera, we started compiling a notebook with concepts, notes, and magazine pictures of all Amelia was visualizing for her quinceañera. We attended and saved special mementos from other friends' quinces. Six months prior to the event, we compiled a list of Amelia's padrinos, who would help provide for the quince celebration, be it with time, talent, or money. She wanted to choose family members or close friends who have consistently been in her life as her padrinos. She sent out a personal letter to each asking for whatever they could afford to contribute.

Amelia's godmother is a graphic art designer in Los Angeles, so luckily she was able to contribute custom designed invitations. Amelia chose a Simplicity pattern for the damas' dresses which cost approximately $65 total to have made. She was able to get a group rate on tuxedo rentals for the escorts, the chambelanes. Amelia was so conscientious of keeping costs down. She and I choreographed the entire quince, so we saved money with the choreography.

Thank God for creative and talented relatives and family friends who donated the decorations and the music. Amelia's Uncle Chico and I compiled a biographical video of Amelia's life. I wrote the script and he narrated, as well as incorporating music and pictures I provided to him from the first 15 years of Amelia's life. We showed the video at the dance while the guests were eating cake.

The funniest part of the day was when we were serving cake and I realized that I had forgotten the forks and plates. Everyone was so sweet and understanding about it—after all, we can eat with our hands using our tortillas, so not having the forks and plates did not put the slightest damper on the event.

At the church

It certainly was a weekend event with Mass rehearsal at the church the night before. The Mass started at noon on that Saturday. After the Mass, the court took a limo ride around the city as a special treat on the way down to the ballroom for the dinner, which was held in honor of the padrinos and the court for their contributions towards Amelia's quince. We had a buffet set up with chicken and beef fajitas, beans, rice, tortillas, green salad, and tea, the traditional menu of the Mexican American quinceañera.

We learned from Ms. Sauceda's book that quinceañera protocols vary according to the different Central American countries where it is celebrated. Menus, attire, the procession, and recession at the church and dancehall all vary according to the different backgrounds, be it Cuban, Puerto Rican, Mexican, or Dominican Republic. It was all so enlightening to know and understand that each different protocol has its own symbolism.

The dance started at 8:00 p.m. and went on until 1:30 a.m. It had different segments within itself. We started with the presentation of the court, when all of the girls and boys who stood in the quince were formally introduced to the guests. In our tradition, we try to include as many family members in the event as possible, especially the children in the family.

"Amelia with her court of Damas and Chambelanes"

Amelia's two little flower girls were two of her cousins, and her baby brother carried the kneeling pillow for the Mass and at the dance when she was crowned. After the court was introduced, they performed a traditional waltz. Then Amelia was crowned by her maternal grandmother and step-grandfather. The crown symbolized the victory Amelia has achieved in living a moral life and the successes she has yet to conquer.

After the crowning came the father/daughter dance, which brought tears to my eyes. There was my baby girl, a young lady, dancing with her father. Then, her maternal aunt and uncle presented her with her last childhood doll and a surprise gift from her second cousin. The Court danced the cumbia, a fast-moving dance, before performing the exit dance.

Amelia with mom, Mrs. Lisa Montes

The rest of the evening was just one big party celebrating Amelia's journey to womanhood and renewed vows to her church and her church community,

We were deeply touched by the gathering of Amelia's maternal and paternal relatives from all over the U.S. and Mexico. We saw family members whom we hadn't seen since Amelia was a baby. We treasured the moment, because it takes a momentous occasion like a quinceañera to bring the family together. Thank God our gathering was a happy and joyous occasion.

Amelia's quinceañera is forever etched in her mind and in our memories. It's a tradition Amelia hopes to pass on to her own daughter one day. The quinceañera is a precious and sacred event to our family, especially because many family traditions have been lost in today's society. We are very happy that God gave us the blessing of that renewal in our family, for we hope to keep it alive for generations to come.