This COVID-19 does not hinder Latino families from celebrating special events especially if it is a "quinceañera" celebration. Kristie Rodriguez, a mother who adapted this major event amid the stay-at-home and social distancing orders said, they "tried to put as many of the traditions" as they could.  

Rodriguez spent so much time planning her teenage daughter, Xochitl's quinceañera celebration for her 15th birthday. The 45-year-old mother added every Hispanic girl is dreaming about her wedding and her quinceañera-the two big events of her life.

But then, COVID-19 occurred, and the stay-at-home orders left them reimagining the much-venerated Latino tradition in such a unique manner.

It took Rodriguez and Jimmy, her husband, some work and creativity but they were able to surprise their daughter on April 21 with a simpler yet unforgettable version of her special day dubbed as "A Drive-by quinceañera."

On this special event, Xochitl was able to share memorable moments with her closest friends and family, at the so-called "safe distance.  

Preparing for quinceañera

Widely celebrated in Latin America, the quinceañera marks a very important milestone in every Latina girl's life. It is a celebration via partly a birthday party, partly a rite of passage, and it symbolizes a girl's entry into womanhood as she turns 15.

More so, quinceañera showcases a teenage woman's purity and her readiness for marriage. However, it has been Americanized, as well, and the increasingly extravagant celebrations mirror Latinos' changing landscape in the United States. 

Typically, a Mass is held during quinceañera, where, according to Rodriguez, the priests bless the celebrator and prepares her for "transition from being a young girl to turning into a woman."

Latino Families' Creative Ways of Celebrating

Jason Vasquez, a Puerto Rican Father from Indiana specifically in Kokomo, held a quinceañera too, for her daughter, Alivyia, outside his residence as friends and family watched from a safe distance, with some, even watching from inside their vehicles.

On the teenage girl's birthday on May 5, the father and daughter danced Tim McGraw's "My Little Girl." The birthday celebrator could not stop smiling while she talked about her simple yet meaningful celebration. 

Until now, this 36-year-old dad said, his daughter is still talking about her excitement, and how glad she was that her dad "was able to pull something for her."

It was quite different, said Rodriguez, since the Latino culture is known to be much more "about physical affection like kissing, touching, and hugging." And, it was so hard, she continued, to see their loved ones and unable to touch them.

However, the Latino mother said, no matter how hard things are at present, their daughter will always remember her birthday amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

And, whether this was what they wanted or planned for (or not), Rodriguez happily shared they were able to put off as many of the Latin American traditions as they could.

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