For females born in Latin American countries, the Quinceañera is perhaps the most important, anticipated event in a young lady's life. Somewhat comparable to the American celebration of a "Sweet 16", the quinceañera also represents a greater level coming of age when the girl achieves the freedom of womanhood for dating, sex, and marriage.
A girl's worth is determined by the level of celebration the family throws for the quinceañera, an event usually bigger than any eventual wedding. From the day a daughter is born, families begin planning and saving towards this ritual, and often still go in debt to insure their daughter is perceived as worthy.
Obviously, experiencing one of these events is nothing you could actually plan for while on vacation, but I was fortunate enough to be in town when one of Bayahibe's founding and most prominent families was in the midst of staging what I was told would be one of the village's premier extravaganzas.
As one of the families from the block, my immediate invitation upon arrival came as a guest of honor to be joined by a host of the stepfather's relatives flying in from Italy. The week leading up to the grand event was a madness of rehearsals and activities including enough food preparations to feed the entire village which had been invited.
On the evening of the celebration, the 15-year-old along with six of her closest friends and their dates, transformed from care-free teenagers into a regal court of local royalty wearing their white formal ball gowns and black suits/ties. Gathering on the block for pre-ceremony pictures, I couldn't help but notice them standing on the dirt road amid the contrasting near-poverty which still served as a background reminder.
Once photos were finished, they were loaded into decorated dune buggies and paraded through the village before making their way across the back of the bay area to the expansive Big Sur open-air nightclub which had been privately rented out for the night. A hush fell across the crowd as the court unloaded and made their way up the walkway with a pomp and circumstance like none other. Each couple was announced before the grand entrance all had been waiting for - the quinceañera princess straight out of the best told Dominican fairytale!
Formalities which followed were quite intriguing as the couples executed their polished dance skills with a waltz, a traditional bachata and merengue number, and the quinceañera's choice with only her date - something straight off the U.S. Top 40 chart. The crowds were easily a dozen deep hemming in the perimeters of the open-air pavillion which served as the ultimate Caribbean ball room.
What I saw deeply touched me; not only watching the ceremony but looking around at the awe-struck crowd. Whether the oldest of grandmothers present, little girls, or 13/14-year-olds watching with great anticipation for their upcoming quinceañera, I couldn't help but sense the females bonded with pride and perhaps shrouded with envy.
It was very unlikely within the village any of the older females had had a celebration this elaborate . . . nor would any of the younger ones anytime soon. I thought of all the quinceañeras I'd attended in small, cramped NYC apartments for transported Dominicanas -- a very poor second without this natural homeland environment; no matter how much cash had been shelled out.
Eventually, a "coming out" presentation was made by the parents, and to say all hell broke loose after that is perhaps the understatement from my entire trip! The music automatically went up several decibels and spontaneous celebration began erupting across the scattered sand courtyard further lit-up from the chance tropical full moon.
Beers and rums started flowing; ladies began distributing appetizer plates followed by heaping helpings of the traditional stewed goat and boiled plantains, desserts, candies and other party favors. Little did I know, things were just getting started.
As the night wore on, the celebration continued as one might expect with feasting, drinking and dancing; some cooling their frenzies by making the short walk to strip down for a dip in the tranquil Caribbean shimmering under the moon beams.
What I wasn't expecting were the number of people that kept coming up to introduce themselves to me as a guest of honor; residents of the small village which had heard of me, but yet I still hadn't met after all these years of coming here. The invitations to stop by for a visit or dinner were more than I could ever fulfill - as if upstaging the quinceañera princess, but the extended warmth and hospitality only solidified why I consider Bayahibe my second home, and why I'll always keep coming back.
Around 1am, the crowds began thinning with most making their way back to the village center and Mundo Marina disco that was just heating up as usual on the marathon Sunday night into Monday morning tradition. It was one of those magical nights one wishes could have lasted forever; I called it quits around 4:30am.
The following mid-morning, I was sitting on the front porch of the house savoring my first strong cup of Dominican coffee generously laced with sugar. And here she came, the quinceañera princess. She'd traded the white ball gown and tiara for a pair of shorts and T-shirt; pumping the beat-up bicycle while navigating around the potholes in the broken-down dirt street. Just the typical 15-year-old teenager without a care in the world.
I thought back to the night before and how during the evening, my mind kept trailing back to the saying, "It takes an entire village to raise a child", something we often hear but that I had never seen put into action before. Regardless of what the future may hold, how fortunate for these children and people to be so truly blessed as they journey through life together.