Has anything ever happened in your life that made you so happy that you still remember it? I do. I remember the day my mother threw me a surprise party. She knew turning fifteen in a Latina's world meant a lot. My mother couldn't afford to give me a Quinceañera, the celebration of a girl's 15th birthday in some parts of Latin America. It is celebrated differently than any other birthday, as it marks the transition from adolescence to young womanhood. The Quinceañera is a celebration when a girl turns fifteen and in Spanish-speaking countries it is a recognition of her journey from teenager to young woman. It begins with a religious ceremony. Then comes the reception which is held at home or in a banquet hall. The celebration includes food, music, choreographed dances or waltzes (performed by the quinceañera and her court). A court consists of fourteen people (seven girls and seven young men) plus the quinceañera, for a total of fifteen people. She is wearing a ball gown. Normally the color of the dress is chosen between white or pink, but in recent years it has changed with the emergence of new trends. Some clothes are now chosen to be blue, purple, yellow, orange, red and even black. As I got older I started hearing about girls turning fifteen and getting ready to throw their parties and invite people to their quinces. They said they would have a DJ or a Mexican/Guatemalan band come and sing at their party. By having one of these groups at your party, the party would last until midnight or 1 am, the reason being Latinos' love for dance. It's a time in your life when you're so excited about wanting to throw a unique party, a party that no other girl has ever thrown. It's a kind of competition where you get to show off that special outfit. I would say like a wedding. Everything must be planned perfectly, it is a big event in the life of a Hispanic girl. I would sit there, listen, and start to imagine myself at my party wearing the dress. At the age of fourteen my father ended up in prison. Having a quince festival without the father is like losing a special part of something you're building. I knew he would feel bad if I threw a party without him, especially because of my quinces.