Happy Birthday...

Sweet Sixteen

In this country a sweet sixteen is a coming of age party celebrating a girl's sixteenth birthday.  The current trend in sweet sixteens is an extremely formal, large affair with a hired DJ, makeup, and hair stylists, yachts, and hotel ballrooms.  Popular traditions include the candle lighting ceremony, where each of the 16 candles has a special meaning, the shoe ceremony, where 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. The tiara ceremony, which is similar to the shoe ceremony, except the mother approaches with a tiara instead of shoes. She places it on her daughter's 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.  The father daughter dance where girl and her father dance to a slow-jazz or traditional song while everyone sits and watches. This is mainly the first song of the night.  Finally, there is the video montage, where a DJ often brings along several flat screen 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 wear.  These parties have become the size of small weddings as documented on MTV's My Super Sweet 16. 

Then there is our daughter, who probably has never had a birthday party or at least not in the last 6 years.  She said only the children with families will usually have a cake.  Well she has a family and she is loved so we contacted one of the local missionaries and we were able to send over some money so she could purchase a cake, chocolates, and soda for her class.  It may not be a "Super Sweet 16" but from the looks of it the kids had a great time!