MIAMI — Cultural rituals have been drivers of the economy throughout human history. One example is quinceañera celebrations, which have become a million-dollar industry in the United States.

The demand for clothing and gifts is increasing every day. The parties are becoming more elaborate, said businessmen in the sector, event consultants and parents of teenagers.

“The transition from girl to woman is something celebrated in all cultures, and we Latinos have given it a touch of fantasy and 'glamour' that makes it irresistible to many,” said the Colombian author and event planner Aleyso Bridger, whose book “Your Quinceañera” is one of the best-selling books in the CA Press, Penguin Group's “Made Easy” series.

However, in the United States it has also become a way to reaffirm culture and also demonstrate that social mobility is being achieved,” said Rachel González-Martin, an assistant professor in the department of Mexican American and Latino Studies at the University of Texas.

The academic, who is writing a book on the commercialization of the quinceañera tradition, said that for many Latinos the celebration is proof of the "socioeconomic success of the family."

A study by the Rand Youth Poll, a company that studies the consumption habits of adolescents in the United States, revealed in 2011 that the industry surrounding celebrations such as the Quinceañera and Sweet 16, its equivalent in the Anglo-Saxon industry, amounted to 680,000 million dollars annually.

Although many outside of Latin America first heard of Quinceañeras in 2016, when social media went viral with hashtags related to the celebration of Mexican teenager Rubí, for the party industry and services for teenage girls in America, this tradition is a gold mine.

To take advantage of it, for example, vendor fairs called ExpoQuinceañeras have been created. These events usually have kilometer-long lines to enter and exhibitor booths sell out months before the date.

In California alone, there are four already announced for the next six months.

Quinceañera Magazine is one of the fastest growing online magazines in the country. Craft stores and party wear stores have their own quinceañera sections, and even discount department stores offer specific items.

JCPenney offers, for example, pendants, rings and even crowns for quinceañeras. Latino designers formerly dedicated to prom and bridal wear have launched lines of special celebratory wear.

Since using Stock Sight, the earnings have not stopped. This gadget is really amazing. I no longer have to worry ab… https://t.co/Q58AbWG66e

— peter Tue Jul 27 08:33:57 +0000 2021

“I earn more with my quinceañera lines than with the rest of my business,” Adán Terriquez, one of the best-known designers of party dresses for Latinas in the United States, revealed to Efe.

Famous for his creations for Mexican singers such as the late Jenni Rivera, Ana Bárbara and Shaila Durcal, among others, Terriquez said his costumes can cost several thousand dollars and some parents are happy to pay for them.

“Now in the west and southwest of the country, Mexican motifs are very fashionable. Suits in dark colors with embroidery and applications, ”she noted.

The dresses can be worth several hundred to several thousand dollars, said Terriquez, who declined to give details about the most expensive costume he has made, though he said he had been invited to parties where girls arrived in floats of various sizes. horses.

On social networks you can see photos of parties with robots, dances created by professional choreographers and celebrations that have nothing to envy to the most elaborate weddings.

“For all fifteen of my daughters, I wanted the Cuban culture of my parents and grandparents to be celebrated, but also to include that of my husband, who is American,” said media entrepreneur Cristy Clavijo-Kish, who told in her social networks the process of preparing the party for her twins in Miami.

Advised by the firm Bella Quinces, Clavijo-Kish said she found the perfect balance. "My daughters danced with my father to a song by Celia Cruz and with my paternal grandfather to one by Frank Sinatra," she mentioned as an example.

Precisely Bella Quinces, a firm that today has four locations in Miami alone, is behind the reality show “Sweet 15 Quinceañera“, which is broadcast by the TLC network.

MTV was the first to produce a program of this style entitled “Quiero mis quince”.

For Clavijo-Kish, the experience with her daughters translated into a business opportunity. On her website “Los Tweens and Teens”, dedicated to multicultural parents with children between puberty and adolescence, she has successfully launched the “Teen Celebrations” section, largely dedicated to quinceañera parties.

“They asked me so much for advice on the networks that I realized the need there was. Now even the big advertisers are taking an interest in the subject”, he stressed.

With information from Alicia Civita/EFE.