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Sweet sixteen (birthday).
Quinceañera
Poemas de quinceanos

A sweet sixteen party is a type of birthday party in the United States and Canada celebrating a girl's sixteenth birthday. Sweet sixteen parties mark a coming of age.

Lupita Photography: The sweet 16 party.

Types of sweet sixteen party

A sweet sixteen, like a wedding, can be extremely formal, casual, or semi-formal. Sweet sixteens can range from a simple house party or dinner party at a restaurant to large affairs with a hired DJ, makeup and hair stylists, and renting out yachts and hotel ballrooms. Large and formal sweet sixteens are featured prominently on MTV's TV show, My Super Sweet Sixteen.

Traditions

The term "sweet sixteen" has been used since at least 1883, and sweet sixteen birthday parties have been held at least since 1923.

Candle-lighting ceremony

Each of the 16 candles holds a special meaning:

    * The first candle is for the girl's parents.
    * The second candle is for the siblings. (If there are no siblings, then this candle can represent the grandparents.)
    * Candles 3, 4, 5 and 6 are for the rest of the family members.
    * Candles 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 are for friends.
    * Candle 15 is for the girl's best friend or friends.
    * The 16th candle is for a significant male, such as a boyfriend or good friend.
    * Some add a 17th candle which represents good luck or a loss.

Shoe ceremony

The shoe ceremony is common at sweet sixteen parties, although they are more often seen in Quinceañeras. In this ceremony, the birthday girl sits down in a chair while her grandfather, uncle, godfather, or father approaches her with high heels on a decorative pillow. The girl would traditionally be wearing flat shoes, such as slippers, and the father ceremoniously helps her into her new high heels. This is symbolic of the girl transitioning into a woman.

Tiara ceremony

This ceremony is similar to the shoe ceremony, except the father/grandfather approaches with a tiara instead of shoes. He places it on the birthday girl's head to symbolize her becoming a woman. Sometimes this is combined with the shoe ceremony, so that two people approach the birthday girl, one with a pillow with high heels, and the other with a pillow with a tiara.
[edit] Father-daughter dance

The father-daughter dance is a tradition that is also frequently performed at weddings. The girl and her father dance to a slow song while everyone sits and watches.

Video montage

At high end sweet sixteens, a DJ often brings along several televisions or a projector to show a video montage set to music of the birthday girl containing pictures starting from when she was a baby and getting older, usually ending with pictures of her in her sweet sixteen dress. This is either made by the DJ with photos provided from the family of the birthday girl, by the parents, by a sibling, or by the birthday girl herself. The guests can either sit down and watch this montage, or it could be playing in the background while the guests dance.

Counterparts in other cultures

Latin American cultures

Many Latin American cultures celebrate a girl's fifteenth birthday with a Quinceañera. In Brazil, these events are called Baile de Debutantes (Debutante) (as well as in other Latin American countries). In some cases, Brazilian girls have their own party, like the sweet sixteen, but at age of 15.

Jewish culture

In traditional Judaism, girls reach the age of spiritual maturity at the age of 12 (with their bat mitzvah), compared to boys who reach the age of spiritual maturity at 13 (with their bar mitzvah). Many practitioners of Reform Judaism have adopted the Catholic custom of a confirmation ceremony, sometimes celebrated on the girl's sixteenth birthday.

Lupita Photography: Meaning of Sweet sixteen birthday celebration.

Asian culture

When young Filipina girls turn 18 they have a Philippine Debut.

The Philippine Debut is a cultural tradition of the Filipino people. It is a coming-of-age celebration for Philippine women that is somewhat reminiscent of the Spanish tradition of the "Quinceanera" celebration. The difference between the Spanish Quinceanera and the Philippine Debut is the age at which the celebration takes place. The Philippine debut celebrates a woman entering into her 18th year, while the Spanish Quineanera takes place on a young lady's 15th birthday.

On their 18th birthday, Philippine women throw a large party, complete with her own hand-picked debut court of 18 people. These 18 are 9 males and 9 females who the celebrant pairs off into partners. The celebrant's court usually wears a uniform formal outfit chosen by the celebrant similar to that of a wedding party, while the celebrant typically wears an extravagant ball gown.

The birthday celebrant along with her partner and court perform traditional debut dances for their guests. The most important dance that the celebrant and her court performs is known as the "Grand Cotillion Dance" which is usually a classic waltz. There is also an "18 Roses Dance" where 18 males picked by the celebrant beforehand dance with her after presenting her with a single red rose. This dance is almost always preceded with the memorable "Father and Daughter Dance".

During the celebration, the debutante also has 18 chosen "candles". These "candles" are females who know the celebrant and must give a short speech on either their relationship with the celebrant and/or any special birthday wishes they have for their celebrant. After all the food, entertainment, and Philippine Debut traditions for this wonderful occasion has gone under way, the celebrant brings the celebration to a close with a Debutante's speech in which she shares her life experience and gratitude with her beloved guests.


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