Of Quinceañeras and Difuntos

A couple of different types of festivities over the last few weeks. The first was right after we returned from our Field Based Training days. We had watched them practice for several Saturdays, but the day of the Quinceañera had finally arrived. This is something that I can most closely relate to a Debutant type event. When a girl is going to turn fifteen here in El Salvador. She picks an equal number of boys and girls to be her attendants for her party. I think the number should be fourteen but I’m not positive. These friends then all are part of the big dance that they must perform with her and a partner to the audience of the rest of the community. It is a fairly big event, full of moments that I’m sure we missed the significance of. For instance I know that the father gives the girl a ring, and that her mother gives her “her last doll”, meaning that she will no longer need or want dolls. I know that you have all been waiting for me to post some pictures, so I will post a few of this event here.

The first is the entryway into the fiesta with a couple of the many kids that we live with. The open cement area to the side of our house is the best area for parties in the community, so you can actually see the room where Katie and I are staying in the back of this picture, the window with the bars.

Next is a picture of the dance being performed. They actually had about 4 rehearsed actions, from the entry, then two dances, and then a final toast. Notice the matching clothing. This is not a cheap event! It costs a lot to throw these things. This family had remittances from their relatives in the states, so they paid for pretty much everything. Over one hundred people attended, and you need to feed the lot of them.

Here is a picture of Vanesa. She is part of our family here, and got to be in the fiesta. Technically, the fiesta with this event is called a “Fiesta Rosa”.

This last is of the Quinceañera with her partner. In this case the partner was the guy who was the dance instructor and composed all of the dances. It was a fun event, and we all got to dance after the main event. At one point it was interrupted by rain and a power outage, but it all worked out fine.

Here in El Salvador November 2nd is Dia de Difuntos. It is a bit like Dia de los muertos from Mexico in that you visit cemeteries, but most of the rest is different. The main thing is that you buy a bunch of fake flowers, and then you take the flowers and “enflower” the various graves of relatives. The flowers are mostly hand made plastic. Katie and I both learned how to make at least the most simple of them out of colored plastic bags. We ended up going to two different cemeteries, and at both the mood was light hearted and happy, not at all sad or mournful. About the most interesting part of this whole thing is that everyone really takes part, the cemeteries are crowded with folks, everyone talking to their neighbors or relatives, buying and eating food. Sure in the States we have a memorial day, and if you described what happens it would sound a bit like this, but really not many folks participate. Here, you could watch the flow of people, and when you got on a bus everyone was either heading towards or away from a cemetery.