Becoming an adult is a rite of passage, a coming of age experience that is celebrated in most all cultures in some form or fashion connecting their values, beliefs, and traditions with nature, spirituality, and social responsibility. From Native American vision quests, and sun dances, Australian Aboriginal walkabouts and Hawaiian Hula Kahiko, Maasai circumcision and Jewish Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Sweet Sixteen parties and Quinceaneras, all share the importance of growing up and taking one’s place in society. Some cultures focus on the male children, others on the females, and some on both sexes,

Quinceaneras are said to date back to  the Aztec culture and were later influenced by Spanish colonialism and Catholic customs. In the beginning, when children reached the age of fifteen or sixteen, they were considered to be of marrying age and old enough to accept responsibilities of the world of work. So rituals and celebrations sent those kids, usually girls these days, into the world with a firm connection to their families, religion, values, and society.

I had the pleasure of attending the Quinceanera of Zoey Love Alarcon. Her fifteenth birthday was October 8. Her Quinceanera was October 18. Zoey’s parents, Rico and Crystal Alarcon, marked her entrance into adult life with the religious ceremony making it official at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Muleshoe, and then celebrated afterward with a reception at the Desert Rose event center, also in Muleshoe.

I arrived a bit early and took a front row seat. Then as people came in, they all seemed to be dressed in black. Oh dear! This being my first Quinceanera, I was afraid I didn’t dress appropriately, but then later, I found out that these were family members and friends who knew that black was Zoey’s theme color for the night and wore their black to match hers.

After Father Nahum Lopez welcomed us to the ceremony, Zoey came in dressed in her lovely black dress.

Mom and Dad were sitting behind Zoey, looking forward to the traditions she would be accepting.

Father Nahun blessed Zoey, after which Zoey’s grandmother, Angela Reyes, and Angela’s sister, Zoey’s aunt, Nicky Orozco, read appropriate scripture passages that were chosen by Crystal and Rico from the books of Jeremiah and John. Father Nahun then gave a homily and asked Zoey, Crystal, and Rico what they wanted Zoey to gain from God as well as the rituals and values presented in the Quinceanera.  I am not quoting exactly, but Crystal mentioned life everlasting for Zoey, Rico wanted Zoey to grow in her faith, and Zoey said this would be a step toward eternal life and was looking forward to support from God, family, and friends.

Father Nahun then asked the family to come forward to give her certain important gifts. Zoey was given a Bible, a rosary, a crucifix, and holy water. Father Nahun explained the importance of each item as it was given.

Father Nahun talked to Zoey about how her passage into adulthood would change some things, like where punishment and rewards would come from. In her childhood, he said, her parents would provide punishment and reward. Now, those things would come from life, from her relationship with God and society, part of her transition from childhood to adulthood.

Father Nahun then served communion to Zoey and the congregation.

After this, Zoey and Mom and Dad took a vase of red roses to the statue of the Virgin Mary to honor her as the young mother of Jesus and in gratitude that Zoey is now a young woman herself, a symbol of the young woman’s commitment to her faith.

Rico was always there when Zoey needed to sit back down, to make sure the chair and dress didn’t conflict with each other.

Father Nahun prayed over Zoey and dismissed the congregation.

As the dismissed  the group,  Father Nahun reminded everyone that this was a Quinceanera, not a mass, and he needed to see them in the morning at Sunday mass! The directive tickled me, and got the same reaction from the Catholics in the crowd. I suspect most of them showed up Sunday morning.

Pictures were taken afterward of the honoree and family.

After the ceremony at the church, everyone traveled to the Desert Rose. One of the nice displays was pictures of family members that had passed and were only there in spirit and pictures of the family’s girls who had had their own Quinceaneras. Zoey’s cousin Carina identified everyone in the pictures for me. It was a nice addition.to the party.

Zoey’s cousin Carina and Zoey’s niece Natalia were dressed in their black for the evening.

The meal was catered by Manantial de Sabores. Angela and other family members and friends served a variety of tasty dishes, like street tacos and all the fixings.

A seductive table labeled La Dulceria-Candy Store-was full of all kinds of sweets- so many it was hard to choose what to sample.Oh my! All kinds of beverages and Mexican breads were also available.

One of the unexpected fun things for me was seeing former students who had come to the party. Some of them I easily recognized, like Gloria Mendoza, and I met her daughter Sabrina. Johnny Garcia, on the other hand, I did not recognize! But he and several others came up and told me who they were, and I appreciated that they remembered me. Zoey’s grandfather, Hector Reyes, was also a former student, so there was no problem there.

After dinner, Crystal and Rico thanked everyone for their support and helping them celebrate this milestone in Zoey’s life.

it was time for the traditional Father-Daughter Dance. De Javier Chaparro from Amarillo, the DJ for the night, played the appropriate song and they danced. Grandfather Hector even had his turn dancing with Zoey afterward.

Everyone was given a glass of wine for the traditional toast to Zoey’s future as a young woman.

Cake was then served. Ice cream came along with it.

I wandered to the lawn in the back of the building where activities had been set up for fun. Kids were playing in a little playground, adults and kids were playing cornhole and had ridden the mechanical bull to the point that a breaker had been flipped, so all I got was a picture of the bull at rest. Later, a piñata  had been hung up for the little guests to attack, and I missed that, but I did get a picture of the second piñata that would be hung up later for Zoey’s classmates and brother who had missed the first part of the night while competing with the MHS band in marching competition in Lubbock. As it turns out, they placed first and will be going on to regional competition next.

Grandmother Angela Reyes’ dance group from Lubbock, Ballet Folklorico Fiesta Del Sol, were the next entertainment. The group performs traditional Mexican folk dances, complete with elaborate dresses and intricate dance moves. In their first dance, they came in with white candles that they put on their heads during the dance. And they never fell off!. There were other dances as well, along with some young people who made all the right moves.

Mariachi Azteca from Lubbock performed next, singing a variety of fun songs. Near the end, another former student, J.C. Orozco, was even playing along with them! He was in the MHS band back in the day, so I guess the music never left him.

After the Mariachi concert, the DJ started the dance music. The party lasted till about 11:30, a fun end to a night of reverence, commitment, and the launching of the next phase of a young woman’s life.

Godspeed, Zoey.

Thanks to grandparents Angela and Hector Reyes for their help with some of the details of the story.