Saturday March 24th Quinceanera Day

Wow....what a party!

I am likely going to have to post about the Quince over more than one day, and will just mark it continued...otherwise I will be spending the entire day working on it, converting videos, uploading etc. Don't really want to do that as Katie and I did not get to bed until 2 AM

It may even be a bit disjointed at times as things occur to both Katie and I. Well those are the excuses...now on with what really matters "Karelly's Quince".

We went to our friend Charely's house in Progreso on the US side, around 5:30. Charely was ready, but her sister Dulce had to go to a birthday party first, so she didn't come with us, across the bridge to the church for the mass. We left our car at Charely's. We are so grateful to both Charely and her sister for always looking after us. They are so considerate, making sure we don't feel left out, with everyone speaking Spanish no matter where we go. The two of them speak very good English.

We got to the church just before Karelly arrived...perfect timing. It is a beautiful church inside as you will see from the pictures that Katie took. The whole mass was in Spanish, but I knew what was happening from my very early days as an Alter Boy. I was an Alter Boy when John Turner, then a prominent Member of Parliment got married at our church. I got $5 a lot in those days, and my picture in Bride's Magazine.

After the church, we left for the Hall, but first all the cars line up and drive through part of the town honking their horns continuously (tradition). You can see in one of the pictures, Karelly got emotional and Charely explained the priest was talking about family and for the parents to think about the job they did with their daughter.

We found out later, that most people invited to the Quince do not go to the church and only to the reception. You can see at the back of the altar on the wall, the woven wall hanging of Jesus on the cross...amazing!

Continued...

After the Church service, we went straight to the hall for the reception. Ahh...thank goodness the air conditioning is on, unlike the day before. The music DJ service was busy setting up their superstructure, with one guy on stilts, doing the wiring and the lighting at the top.

Not that many people at first...but slowly the place started to fill up, until in the end all the tables were full. The original plan was for supper to be between 8 and 9, and then dancing after...but I guess the caterers did not have the meal ready until around 9, when they brought in a large container covered in tin foil.

Erika made the decision that Karelly had waited long enough to be presented, so the plan changed to dancing first, eat later. I said to Charely that I can't dance if I'm not fed and she took me seriously until I told her I was just kidding. She will get to know me better.



then it was the time...So here it is folks...."The Dance"




Well that went rather well, if I do say so myself. Only trouble was stepping on Karelly's dress, very hard to avoid. We had done the practicing with her in blue jeans and runners. She is a very good dancer, and in the Quince dress you do not get the full effect of some of her moves, but she wanted to dance in her Quince dress, and why not, it is beautiful.

When we started our dance, I said "I love you" and she said "I love you too". A good start.

What follows will be some candid still shots that Katie took, she took 155 still shots the whole day, along with some videos.

This is Eric...the youngest that we sponsor...he is a fun kid...along with his date for the night

Standing by the dessert table...with Karelly's Eiffel tower as the centrepiece

just a cute little one

some more little ones with their own dance

Our friend Charely and yours truly and our tripod ready for the dance

speaks for itself

Karelly making her first entrance with Mom and Dad

The boys...who spend a lot of time supporting her for the dance

Karelly and Dad

The last doll is another one of those traditional symbols that packs a great deal of meaning. The last doll, or ultima muneca, represents the quinceanera leaving behind her childhood and the toys of a young girl in exchange for more grown-up interests fitting a young woman. The last doll can be given by the padrinos or parents. 

At the reception, it is tradition for the quinceanera to give her doll to a younger sister or cousin. She may also pass her doll to her mother if she has no younger family member to receive it. Another tradition that some quinceanera's add is the tossing of the childhood doll to the young girls at the party. It is a custom that the Karelly receive her last doll from her father.

The family...Livy who is 11 is on the right

Livario's Dentist who practices in Nuevo Progreso for 8 years. He was educated in Monterrey and that education for a dentist is said to be better than the USA. Livario introduced him to us, and we had a nice chat, he is a very nice guy.

Erika's sister Katty and her little one Derrick

Karelly's friends

Karelly along with our friends Charely and her sister Dulce

Karelly and Jorge (the choreographer)

more to come....

As the night progressed and the music with no ending continued...It was time for "The Carnival" a guy on stilts dressed as a robot and all lit up, and a girl also on stilts started to dress with everyone on the dance floor. Later on another guy with a yellow suit, a green mask, spats shoes, and a red hat joined. He was a really good dancer, but at the end of the night, I saw him to the side take the rubber mask off, and he was just dripping and could have filled a glass. When he put the mask back on he held it away from his face to get some air. I felt sorry for him, but he sure did a great job, as did the other two who never quit.

They also kept giving out props as things went on, lights for the girls heads, huge plastic glasses, boler hats, light bars etc.

I am just going to post random pictures and videos that Katie took...

more to come...

The offical Entrance

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Click on the links below to watch videos

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AvN1MXgadj-ogtNWa28ENa_QlWNW2w

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AvN1MXgadj-ogtNVtbSG58LN3zf7tQ

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https://1drv.ms/v/s!AvN1MXgadj-ogtNZlcHz1A7mo5VaTQ

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AvN1MXgadj-ogtNU_Fnd3E1SSp9l1w

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AvN1MXgadj-ogtNYW4JuNqg_IjBs_g

more to come

Right at midnight which was the time the hall was booked to, things started to wind down, Charely and Dulce and us decided not to wait for cake, so we said our goodbyes, and Dulce and Charely drove us back to her dad's place so we could get our car.

We gave them big hugs for looking after us, and then it was the 25 minute drive home. Katie and I watched some TV to unwind, and then it was off to bed around 2AM.

Sunday we suffered for that, and we just lounged and rested all day

and so ends another great day in the Valley/Mexico

more later...