Quinceanera and Other Rites of Passage for Girls

Study of different rites of passage for girls entering womanhood with an emphasis on the Spanish celebration, Quinceanera.

Quinceanera, Confirmation, Bat Mitzvah and Female Castration ceremonies are all part of the modern world and all mark the change in a young girl’s life to that of a woman. A Quinceanera is the celebration of a girls fifteenth birthday. Once the spiritual ceremony is over the girl moves on to the social part of the Quinceanera. At the age of fifteen the girl is no longer a child. At the age of 12 girls become obligated to observe the commandments. The ceremony marks the time in a girl’s life when she is ready for womanhood and marriage. For girls, these rites have traditionally prepared them for marriage and sexual activity (childbearing) within the marriage context.