Quinceanera and the Work of Eva Castellanoz
You’ve heard of “sweet 16” parties, but many girls in American Latino communities follow another tradition. A quinceañera (KEEN-say-ahn-YAY-rah) is a grand celebration marking a young girl’s rite of passage from childhood to young womanhood when she turns 15. The honorees usually wear special dresses and headpieces for the occasion. NEA National Heritage Fellow Genoveva “Eva” Castellenoz from Nyssa, Oregon, crafts beautiful quinceañera coronas (crowns) that are sought out far and wide by families wishing to add a traditional touch to the celebration.
Let’s find out more about the quinceañera and Eva’s contribution to this tradition.
The History of Quinceañera
Quinceañera is celebrated in Mexico, Cuba, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and other parts of Central and South America, in addition to Latino communities in the United States and Canada. Its origins are unclear. Some believe the celebration harkens back to a custom of the Aztecs, an ancient civilization in what is now Mexico. At the age of 15, young men became warriors and young women became the wives of warriors.
Esta historia es de la edición July/August 2017 de Faces - The Magazine of People, Places and Cultures for Kids.
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Esta historia es de la edición July/August 2017 de Faces - The Magazine of People, Places and Cultures for Kids.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
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ME OH-MAYA!
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The Panama Canal
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It’s time to visit Central America. But first, it helps to know exactly where Central America is. Despite its name, it is the southernmost part of North America, which can seem a little confusing. It makes up most of the isthmus dividing the Pacific Ocean from the Caribbean Sea. An isthmus is a narrow strip of land that connects two larger landmasses and has water on both sides.
