What Is A Quinceanera? Know How Adriana Palma Celebrated Her Special B'Day

Adriana Palma Quinceanera: A homeless teen in Miami, Adriana Palma was surprised by Lian Navarro, a community development associate at Miami Rescue Mission who planned a Parisian themed Quinceanera for her 15th birthday.

Quinceaneras are an integral part of Hispanic culture, it is a celebration for a girl's 15th birthday. Quinceanera translates as fifteen years in English and the cultural implication behind the day holds much significance for the girl as it marks her transcendence from girlhood to womanhood. It has its roots in Mexican culture although it is widely celebrated by girls throughout Latin America.

Adriana and her Quinceanera

Adriana was identified by Lian Navarro who asks caseworkers every month for the names of children celebrating a birthday at the shelter. Her nearly 60 volunteers “Cover Girls,” named after the protective covering of an umbrella, bring cupcakes, balloons, and small toys to children. Navarro who herself is a Cuban American understood the importance of the event for Adriana and tried her level best to make the Quinceanera happen.

The 15-year-old teen had dreamed of her birthday since childhood, but after her father lost his job, Adriana said, “I lost all hope of having one.”

Adriana's experience

Adriana made a grand entry with her in a bewitching pink-colored ballgown with ruffles and a sparkling tiara on her head, she scanned the room for familiar faces for she got an overwhelming response, “Don’t worry,” a volunteer at the homeless shelter told Adriana before the February celebration. “Today, we are all your godmothers.”

The theme was Parisian and the volunteers made their best efforts to bring it to life, with a feminine and floral aesthetic. They found small gold Eiffel towers, placed cupcakes in delicate floral teacups, filled elegant glass jars with pastel macarons and sweet madeleines, and finished each table with pink floral centerpieces.

A make-up artist was also hired who gave Adriana her first make-up lesson, a hairstylist put her glossy, dark locks in soft curls and a professional photographer spent three hours capturing the event. Along with this Adriana was also gifted with all the items on her wishlist.

Adriana also danced with her father to Ed Sheeran's famous song, Photograph, as the father-daughter dance holds immense significance to the celebration. Adriana slipped handwritten notes to everyone when the celebration was about to end and thanked her Godmothers to make this dream come true.

How tragedy had struck her family

When the teen left Mexico in early 2020, she looked forward to a new life in Miami with her parents and three younger brothers. But when the pandemic hit, her father’s job disappeared.

Alone and impoverished, they spent four months living in their SUV. Adriana and her brothers — hungry and unfamiliar with English — crammed in homework assignments whenever they could find WiFi.