Cultural Artifact

I.Intro
A.Hello everyone my name is . And today I am going to talk about a cultural artifact but before that by a show of hands how many of you consider yourselves young adults? Ok now does your family recognize you as a young adult? There is a point in your life when your family starts to see you as a young adult. For Hispanic girls they are seen as a young adult at the age of 15. B.I have here with me today a high heel. You done see little girls wearing heels right…you usually see young woman and adults wearing them. So this heel represents maturity. I am Hispanic and for my 15th birthday I had a quinceanera. This is similar to a sweet 16. C.Quinceanera is an important factor of a young woman’s life because they are presented to the world as a young adult growing from being a child to a young lady. II.Body

1.A quinceanera usually begins with a religious ceremony such as a mass specifically for the quinceanera. This represents the parents presenting their little girl to God and blessing her. Then a reception is held in a home or a banquet hall. The celebration includes food music and usually a dance or a waltz performed by the quinceanera. There are many traditions in a quinceanera but one of the most popular is the changing of the shoes. Usually the father changes the young girls flat shoes to high heels. 2.This is a symbol of the quinceanera transformation from a little girl to a young lady. Right after the shoes are on the quinceanera has a dance with her father and is presented as a young lady. B.

1. I identify myself with this culture because I am Hispanic my parents migrated here from Mexico and my mother is a very traditional woman. For my 15th birthday I had a quinceanera. 2.My mother and my grandmother also celebrated their quinceanera. And of course as tradition my father changed my flat shoes to these heels which represented my transformation to a young lady. III.Conclusion

A.So now you know that a quinceanera is an important milestone in a young girl’s life. It represents the girl’s journey from being a child to becoming a young lady. B.A quinceanera embraces religious costumes such as God and customs such as family and dance. C.I hope that you have all learned why a quinceanera is celebrated and that it still remains a cherished and honored tradition. And if you do have a chance to attend one I recommend you to go it is a beautiful and fun ceremony and plus there is free food and music. Well thank you for your time and now I am going to show you a video of a the changing of the shoes ceremony in a quinceanera.( Put on video for 2 mins).