Kino

Family Photo...where's waldo? (click on photos to enlarge)
the swing...how fun and weird.
dancing with El Padrino. The wedding practice helped him!

putting on her necklace.

the padrinos with the princess.

preggo lady posing with the cake. but what a cute guy she has.

Quinceañera, or Quince años ("fifteen years" in English), in some Latin American societies is a coming of age ceremony held on a girl's, sometimes boy's fifteenth birthday. It's vaguely comparable to a Sweet Sixteen celebration in the states (maybe MTV style). Peru, the ancient land of mystery, adventure, and fabulous wealth, has celebrated the Quinceañera celebration for many hundreds of years. Whether in the highest reaches of the Andes or in the villages and cities along the Pacific Coast, the quince anos tradition runs strong through the nation's culture.

As I mentioned, we are the padrinos of the year. We are the godparents for 2 siblings of some extended familiar relation of Richard's for their baptism. Here you have padrinos for everything it seems. So we were asked to be Daniella's (Richard's cousin) godparents for here quinceanera. She's a very sweet girl and I have enjoyed getting to know her, so I was happy to do it, but didn't have an idea what was expected of us.

If you're proud to call Peru a part of your heritage, your own Quinceañera celebration can reflect any part of this varied and colorful nation's customs. It was really a big deal for her mom. For a long time Daniella didn't want a party. She wanted money and a laptop, but a couple of months ago as the date neared...she opted to be a princess for a day.

Part of our gift was a spa package. mani, pedi, hair and makeup. So, I spent the week with her doing the test for her hairstyle and the various apt. They had decided to do the photo session in the daylight that Saturday. We started in the salon at 2:15. We were rushing out at 5:15. It was a disaster. The girl who did the makeup had to start over after an hour because of an eyelash issue. The sun goes down at 6pm. We rush to the boardwalk. I was supposed to help with places and poses. We quickly snap shots here and there as the sun is setting. It's windy. It was insane and almost comical. I pray she got some good shots she is happy with and she did look like a Disney princess. However, she had to redo the hair. All her curls we spent an hour doing came out in the wind....of course.

In Peru, the Quinceañera girl is truly a princess, and the mistress of her fiesta. In many celebrations, the fiesta only really begins once the quince anos girl descends a flight of stairs to join her "subjects" for the evening. Her court is waiting for her as well - and a full court it is, too! This was tons more complicated than our wedding. Richard rushed back to Ilo to get showered and changed to be there by 9:30 we were told should start the actual festivities. So, we arrive and....yea mostly empty. Great. How many times this happens to me. I will never get the sense of timing here. We find out Daniella is upstairs. She's nervous. We go to visit and practice the waltz dance she is going to do with Richard. We find out we are waiting for her friends to arrive that are part of the ceremony so we can start. Well we are waiting on one guy. So, Enrique another cousin, who is already 15 and not into any of this gets pushed into taking the kids place so we can get the show on the road. Thank God Enrique! Six chambelanes (escort guys in suits) await her descent, each one holding a rose. Her damas (like bridesmaids), arrayed on the opposite side of the staircase, hold candles. As she makes her way through the court, she blows out a candle and takes a rose, until by the end she has a bouquet for her fiesta. (this is what what we were waiting for this kid for). Then the ceremony begins with an MC leading the whole thing. The quince anos princess then escorts her father, where they dance a waltz to a traditional Quinceañera song. Then she dances with the padrino. They did a lovely job! After that dance, she dances with her designated chambelane escort for the evening. This is no small thing. They had been practicing for weeks. It was a full show. They did a choreographed dance to some song from High School musical. Oh and somewhere in there there is a swing that comes down from the ceiling and her father and godfather hoist her on it and take turns pushing her. (I couldn't make this up.) Then she has a small doll that she gives to a young girl to represent giving up her childhood etc. Then she receives all her gifts and photos and Richard gives a toast (surprise!). Then they all go and change. Oh yes. A different dress. This group of like 12 teens has been practicing for hours. They do this choreographed mix dance. I have to say it was impressive. Really difficult and well executed. These are 15 year old kids who are doing a show for all the people there. It was surreal. I couldn't imagine it happening in the US, but that part was cool.

The rest of the dancing for the evening is given over to any kind of music, and all the guests are welcome to participate. The party lasts until 3-4am. As we got a late start and this was the week of moving and I was hungry. We left, ate and went to bed. It was a big disappointment to everyone, but what could we do? We were both exhausted. So that's how we spent the Saturday before we moved...what did you do?

It was quite the affair. There is also a moment for the present from the parents and godparents. Luckily I was up on this and we had purchased a nice necklace when we were in the states. Richard is definitely wanting to have a boy now he says. Way too much effort and expense for a girl.......haha. There you have it folks. That's how you do what they now call her... a kino.