Candy's Quinceanea

A girl’s 15^th birthday, or quinceanera, in many parts of Latin America, including Colombia, is a big, big deal. While a boy’s 15^th birthday is also celebration-worthy, for girls, turning 15 is serious, quasi wedding-esque business. We’re talking the whole shebang: full-blown reception, gowns and tiaras, dinner, professional photographers and videographers, cake, dancing, bands, and guest list. Wealthier families can afford bigger, more lavish parties, but even those with economic strains go big and pride themselves on throwing their daughter an amazing party. 

I have been to three 15^th birthday parties in Colombia, but this last one was extra special. Candy lives next door to me and is a part of the big family that has adopted me into theirs. She is one of my favorites and many a night we sit in rocking chairs as she explains the intricate happenings of scandalous Colombian reality TV shows to me. 

Guests (140 of them) arrived and one-by-one male friends and family took turns dancing with the birthday girl. 

Next guests watched a slide show complete with lots of Celine Dion music, ate cake and drank champagne until the Mariachi band arrived (Mariachi bands are originally from Mexico but appear at all quinceaneras I’ve been to...?).

 Candy with the Mariachi band

Back to more talking and champaine until… “La Hora Loca!” My favorite! “The Crazy Hour” is a 60 minute dance-fest upon the arrival of another band, complete with booming drums and trumpets. Everyone, from infants to grandmas gets their groove on. And I mean everyone--the neighbor with terrible arthritis was even hoisted up in her chair. Being the "gringa", I pulled into middle and forced to “sacalo, metelo”, aka partake in awkward hip thrusting movements that no white-girl can pull off. 

 The three ladies I live with: Aura, me, Celia, and Edith

 Candy and cousins

 I live with a bunch of party animals...

Gringa getting down during "la hora loca"

The next day/night, about 40 family members made their way (usually just down the street) to my house where we prepared sancoho soup. Sancocho is a common, traditional soup of potatoes, corn, yucca, yam, beef, chicken, and carrots (whatever's in the pantry, really) that was created by throwing together scraps of extra food and leftover animal parts to make a hardy meal for African slaves.