Sweet 15?

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.