personal opinion
Paper details:
what you interested,what you found, what opinion, what question you have. write half page
http://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/01/garden/rituals-families-and-traditions-quinceanera-a-girl-grows-up.html
I decided to share this article due to its connection with both my own town and its connection to the reading for this week. In chapter 9 of the textbook, the significance of rituals or rites is discussed. This article discusses one such rite, a rite of passage. Many Hispanic girls choose to have a quinceanera, which marks their fifteenth birthday and their transition into womanhood.
I found it interesting that many parents are willing to compromise their financial stability in order to provide this experience for their daughters. This speaks to both the cultural importance of the celebration and the difference in values that Hispanic families hold. Money is less important than the celebration and the experience for their daughters. Additionally, this willingness to forsake financial hardship speaks to the social/cultural pressure that many families must feel to have these celebrations. I was also intrigued by the different views that various families and priests have on the quinceanera and its religious implications. Some feel that it is a religious ceremony and should represent a vow to follow a life of Christianity, while others are more focused on the celebration and tradition of having a quinceanera regardless of the effect on the religious life of the young woman. Clearly, whether religious of secular, a quinceanera is a significant milestone in the life of a young woman, and it does shift the way they think about their future decisions, etc.
My town consists almost entirely of white, Native American, and Hispanic families; therefore, the concept of the quinceanera is not foreign to me. I have never attended one, however, many of my school peers have taken part in these celebrations or had one themselves. I was always fascinated by the ritual and tradition behind these parties, and I felt that this article provided an interesting perspective on the pressures on Hispanic women to have a quinceanera or to encourage their daughters to have them.
The question that arose as I read this article involved the relationship between religion and ritual. I am curious how a quinceanera or other religious ritual will be impacted as the country moves more and more away from religion. As the article discusses, these celebrations are no longer restricted to girls looking to further their Christian faith, but rather they act as a means to recreate Hispanic culture and bring extended family to celebrate together. How will the celebration or expression of these rituals change, a
s the motives that originally drove them are lost?
