Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Our Debutants

Debut is a coming-of-age celebration for Filipino women that is somewhat reminiscent of the Spanish tradition of the "Quinceanera" celebration. The difference between the Spanish Quinceanera and the Philippine Debut is the age at which the celebration takes place. The Philippine debut celebrates a woman entering into her 18th year, while the Spanish Quineanera takes place on a young lady's 15th birthday.

On their 18th birthday, Filipino women throw a large party, complete with her own hand-picked debut court of 18 people. These 18 are 9 males and 9 females who the celebrant pairs off into partners. The celebrant's court usually wears a uniform formal outfit chosen by the celebrant similar to that of a wedding party, while the celebrant typically wears an extravagant ball gown.








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