Sweet sixteen (birthday)
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A sweet sixteen party is a type of birthday party in the United States celebrating a sixteenth birthday. Sweet sixteen parties mark a coming of age.
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[edit] Types of sweet sixteen party
A sweet sixteen, like a wedding, can be extremely formal, casual, or semi-formal. Sweet sixteens can range from modest parties at home with close family to large affairs with a hired DJ, makeup and hair stylists, yachts and hotel ballrooms. Large and formal sweet sixteens are featured prominently on MTV's TV show, My Super Sweet Sixteen.
[edit] Traditions
[edit] Candle-lighting ceremony
Each of the 16 candles holds a special meaning[citation needed]
- The first candle is for the boy's/girl's parents.
- The second candle is for the siblings. (If there are no siblings, then this candle can represent the grandparents.)
- Candles 3, 4, 5 and 6 are for the rest of the family members.
- Candles 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 are for friends.
- Candle 15 is for the girl's best friend or friends.
- The 16th candle is for a significant male, such as a boyfriend or good friend.
- Some add a 17th candle which represents good luck
[edit] Shoe ceremony
For females the shoe ceremony is common at sweet sixteen parties, although they are more often seen in Quinceañeras.[citation needed] In this ceremony, the birthday girl sits down in a chair while her grandfather, uncle, godfather, or father approaches her with high heels on a decorative pillow. The girl would traditionally be wearing flat shoes, such as slippers, and the father ceremoniously helps her into her new high heels. This is symbolic of the girl transitioning into a woman.
[edit] Tiara ceremony
For females:
This ceremony is similar to the shoe ceremony, except the mother approaches with a tiara instead of shoes. She places it on her daughters head to symbolize her becoming a woman. Sometimes this is combined with the shoe ceremony, so that two people approach the birthday girl, one with a pillow with high heels, and the other with a pillow with a tiara.[1]
[edit] Father-daughter dance
The father-daughter dance is a tradition that is also frequently performed at weddings.[citation needed] The girl and her father dance to a slow-jazz song while everyone sits and watches. This is usually the first song of the night.
[edit] Video montage
At high end sweet sixteens, a DJ often brings along several televisions or a projector to show a video montage set to music of the birthday girl containing pictures starting from when she was a baby and getting older, usually ending with pictures of her in her sweet sixteen dress.[citation needed] This is either made by the DJ with photos provided from the family of the birthday girl, by the parents, or by a sibling. The guests can either sit down and watch this montage, or it could be playing in the background while the guests dance.
[edit] Boys' sixteenth birthday party
Although the Sweet Sixteen party is usually for girls, some families try to do something similar for their sons too. They may throw huge parties with big birthday cakes, usually displaying the boys' interests.[citation needed]
[edit] Counterparts in other cultures
[edit] Latin American cultures
Many Latin American cultures celebrate a girl's fifteenth birthday with a Quinceañera. In Brazil, these events are called Baile de Debutantes (as well as in other Latin American countries).
[edit] Jewish culture
In Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative Judaism, girls reach the age of spiritual maturity at the age of 12, celebrated with a bat mitzvah, and for boys at the age of 13, with a bar mitzvah. These are important dates in the Jewish culture, because following these ceremonies, bar or bat mitzvah, the young person is considered an adult.
[edit] Christian culture
In many Christian denominations, both girls and boys reach the age spiritual maturity at around the age of 13 or 14, with the Sacrament of Confirmation.[citation needed]
[edit] Asian culture
When young Filipino girls turn 18 they have a Début.[citation needed]
At the age of 20, young Chinese women have a ceremony called Ji Li. Men have a ceremony called Guan Li.[citation needed]
[edit] Italy
In Italy it is common to have a party celebrating the 18th birthday of both boys and girls, which is the legal coming of age.[citation needed]
[edit] Poland
Eighteen is the age when a young person becomes an adult in Poland.[citation needed] That means he or she can start purchasing, among other things, alcohol and tobacco; and also may participate in gambling.
Because of the above, the 18th birthday is often celebrated without parents, with adult-themed presents.
[edit] UK
It is usual to have a party to celebrate becoming an adult when 18.[citation needed] This can be big or reasonably small.
