Coming of age ceremonies are an important part of many cultures as parents gather their relatives and friends to celebrate their son’s or daughter’s transition from childhood to adulthood. In the US, one of the most common coming of age celebrations is the Sweet 16, which takes place on a girl’s 16th birthday. This type of party usually involves a catered dinner, dancing, a tiara ceremony, candle-lighting ceremony, and a shoe ceremony. Some Sweet 16 parties cost between $10,000 to $25,000, but more lavish celebrations can set parents back by $200,000 or more, especially if they choose to give the birthday girl a brand new car as a gift to mark the occasion.
Similar celebrations are also held in other parts of the world, with different rites to signify the celebrant’s increased responsibilities, establishing their place and role in their family and local community. Here are some of the most festive and fabulous coming of age celebrations around the world.
Mexico and Latin America- Quinceanera
A quinceanera is a coming of age celebration that comes from Latin culture. In Mexico and Latin America, families typically celebrate a girl’s 15th birthday to welcome her to adulthood. The festivities begins with the birthday girl and her family, godparents, and court going to church for blessings. The quinceanera court consists of the celebrant’s closest friends, and the girls are called ‘damas,’ while the boys are referred to as chambelanes. Part of the court’s responsibilities include learning a choreographed dance number with the celebrant, and being by her side all throughout the day.
The attire is festive and formal, and the birthday girl wears an elaborate quinceanera ball gown either in a sweet pastel hue or a vivid jewel tone. Meanwhile, the damas are dressed in knee-length dresses, while the chambelanes wear suits, all in a single color to match the celebrant’s gown. Some of the traditions are very sentimental and meaningful, such as the quinceanera toast, the father-daughter dance, and a doll ceremony wherein the father gives his daughter one last doll to symbolize the end of her childhood. Alternatively, if the birthday girl has a younger sister, she may give her a porcelain doll to mark this important milestone in her life. After that, there’s dinner, a cake cutting ceremony, and a waltz with the birthday girl and her court before the party begins.
Japan- Seijin-No-Hi
Young adults in Japan typically celebrate their coming of age with other young men and women on a specific date. Seijin-No-Hi, which translates to Coming of Age Day, takes place on the second Monday of January, and on that day all the men and women who turned 20 in the past year are welcomed to society as adults. City halls and public event spaces usually host the ceremonies, and the celebrants, called Seijin, are given advice on their responsibilities and what it means to be a valuable member of the community as an adult.
All the female Seijin turn up in their best long-sleeved kimonos, while the men usually wear Western-style suits or traditional clothing called hakama. After hearing speeches from public officials and getting advice from elders, the Seijin gather at restaurants or halls to have prom-style parties. For most of them, these parties are where they get their first taste of alcohol since they’re now of legal age to consume it.
Philippines- Debut
In the Philippines, many parents celebrate their daughter’s coming of age with a party called a debut. This occasion takes place on a girl’s 18th birthday, and much like a quinceanera, it involves wearing a ballgown and having a court made up of 18 boys and 18 girls. A typical debut usually starts in the evening and ends in the wee hours of the morning with a dance party, dance and band performances, and karaoke.
Some key traditions include a Grand Cotillion, which is a choreographed waltz performed by the debutante, her escort, and the court. There’s also the 18 Roses Ceremony, wherein 18 of the celebrant’s male relatives and friends take turns waltzing with her after giving her a single rose. This is followed by the 18 Candles Ceremony, where 18 women light candles and express their well wishes to the debutante.
Coming of age celebrations are a wonderful way to welcome a young person to adulthood. These ceremonies incorporate age-old traditions that celebrate culture, family, and growing up, which make these events a fun way to welcome changes that are sure to come in one’s life.