In a world that seems to be turning more and more away from God, the celebration of the Quinceañera offers an opportunity to bring individuals and families together to give thanks to God for the gift of life, and ask for His blessings upon the young woman on her journey from childhood to maturity. This book is a spiritual preparation for girls celebrating their Quinceañera, which ensures that the young woman understands the basics of her Catholic Faith. Focus is put on the Sacraments, and the importance of living a holy life.
Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, a “phenomenal, indispensable” (USA Today) exploration of the Latina “sweet fifteen” celebration, by the bestselling author of How the García Girls Lost Their Accents and In the Time of Butterflies The quinceañera, a celebration of a Latina girl’s fifteenth birthday, has become a uniquely American trend. This lavish party with ball gowns, multi-tiered cakes, limousines, and extravagant meals is often as costly as a prom or a wedding. But many Latina girls feel entitled to this rite of passage, marking a girl’s entrance into womanhood, and expect no expense to be spared, even in working-class families. Acclaimed author Julia Alvarez explores the history and cultural significance of the “quince” in the United States, and the consequences of treating teens like princesses. Through her observations of a quince in Queens, interviews with other quince girls, and the memories of her own experience as a young immigrant, Alvarez presents a thoughtful and entertaining portrait of a rapidly growing multicultural phenomenon, and passionately emphasizes the importance of celebrating Latina womanhood.
Pope Francis's vision of the ministry of preaching offers a renewed emphasis on what it means to preach the Word of God in such a way that it transforms lives and communities, and inspires hope. In To All the World, Michael Connors, CSC, draws together contributions from a variety of expert voices to reflect on the importance of liturgical preaching today. To All the World combines contemporary scholarship with pastoral practicality in one volume by well-known practitioners in the ministry of preaching including Timothy Radcliffe, OP, Honora Werner, OP, Paul Turner, Jeremy Driscoll, OSB, Karla J. Bellinger, and Cardinal Donald Wuerl. It will serve as a perfect companion to the United States Bishops' document, Preaching the Mystery of Faith: The Sunday Homily, and will be of interest to all those who share the pope's vision and call to be evangelists of the Word to all the world. To All the World includes essays by: Karla J. Bellinger Jeremy Driscoll, OSB Cardinal Donald Wuerl Virgilio Elizondo David H. Garcia Curtis Martin Susan McGurgan Hosffman Ospino Timothy Radcliffe, OP Donald Senior, CP Jude Siciliano, OP Melvin R. Tardy Paul Turner Honora Werner, OP
This book documents hundreds of customs and traditions practiced in countries outside of the United States, showcasing the diversity of birth, coming-of-age, and death celebrations worldwide. From the beginning of our lives to the end, all of humanity celebrates life's milestones through traditions and unique customs. In the United States, we have specific events like baby showers, rites of passage such as Bat and Bar Mitzvahs and "sweet 16" birthday parties, and sober end-of-life traditions like obituaries and funeral services that honor those who have died. But what kinds of customs and traditions are practiced in other countries? How do people in other cultures welcome babies, prepare to enter into adulthood, and commemorate the end of the lives of loved ones? This three-volume encyclopedia covers more than 300 birth, life, and death customs, with the books' content organized chronologically by life stage. Volume 1 focuses on birth and childhood customs, Volume 2 documents adolescent and early-adulthood customs, and Volume 3 looks at aging and death customs. The entries in the first volume examine pre-birth traditions, such as baby showers and other gift-giving events, and post-birth customs, such as naming ceremonies, child-rearing practices, and traditions performed to ward off evil or promote good health. The second volume contains information about rites of passage as children become adults, including indigenous initiations, marriage customs, and religious ceremonies. The final volume concludes with coverage on customs associated with aging and death, such as retirement celebrations, elaborate funeral processions, and the creation of fantasy coffins. The set features beautiful color inserts that illustrate examples of celebrations and ceremonies and includes an appendix of excerpts from primary documents that include legislation on government-accepted names, wedding vows, and maternity/paternity leave regulations.
Food is at the center of national debates about how Americans live and the future of the planet. Not everyone agrees about how to reform our relationship to food, but one suggestion rises above the din: We need to get back in the kitchen. Amid concerns about rising rates of obesity and diabetes, unpronounceable ingredients, and the environmental footprint of industrial agriculture, food reformers implore parents to slow down, cook from scratch, and gather around the dinner table. Making food a priority, they argue, will lead to happier and healthier families. But is it really that simple? In this riveting and beautifully-written book, Sarah Bowen, Joslyn Brenton, and Sinikka Elliott take us into the kitchens of nine women to tell the complicated story of what it takes to feed a family today. All of these mothers love their children and want them to eat well. But their kitchens are not equal. From cockroach infestations and stretched budgets to picky eaters and conflicting nutrition advice, Pressure Cooker exposes how modern families struggle to confront high expectations and deep-seated inequalities around getting food on the table. Based on extensive interviews and field research in the homes and kitchens of a diverse group of American families, Pressure Cooker challenges the logic of the most popular foodie mantras of our time, showing how they miss the mark and up the ante for parents and children. Romantic images of family meals are inviting, but they create a fiction that does little to fix the problems with the food system. The unforgettable stories in this book evocatively illustrate how class inequality, racism, sexism, and xenophobia converge at the dinner table. If we want a food system that is fair, equitable, and nourishing, we must look outside the kitchen for answers.
Sofia comes from a family of storytellers. Here are her tales of growing up in the barrio in McAllen, Texas, full of the magic and mystery of family traditions: making Easter cascarones, celebrating el Dia de los Muertos, preparing for quinceañera, rejoicing in the Christmas nacimiento, and curing homesickness by eating the tequila worm. When Sofia is singled out to receive a scholarship to boarding school, she longs to explore life beyond the barrio, even though it means leaving her family to navigate a strange world of rich, privileged kids. It’s a different mundo, but one where Sofia’s traditions take on new meaning and illuminate her path.
Since the 1960s, evangelical Christian denominations have made converts throughout much of Roman Catholic Latin America, causing clashes of faith that sometimes escalate to violence. Yet in one Mexican town, Tzintzuntzan, the appearance of new churches has provoked only harmony. Catholics and evangelicals alike profess that "all religions are good," a sentiment not far removed from "here we are all equal," which was commonly spoken in the community before evangelicals arrived. In this paradigm-challenging study, Peter Cahn investigates why the coming of evangelical churches to Tzintzuntzan has produced neither the interfaith clashes nor the economic prosperity that evangelical conversion has brought to other communities in Mexico and Latin America. Drawing on extensive ethnographic fieldwork, he demonstrates that the evangelicals' energetic brand of faith has not erupted into violence because converts continue to participate in communal life, while Catholics, in turn, participate in evangelical practices. He also underscores how Tzintzuntzan's integration into global economic networks strongly motivates the preservation of community identity and encourages this mutual borrowing. At the same time, however, Cahn concludes that the suppression of religious difference undermines the revolutionary potential of religion.
Presents volume four of the four-volume Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States, and contains a number of A to Z articles on topics such as identity, art, politics, religion, education, health, and history. health, and history.
This publication is intended as a resource guide for teachers, students, and librarians interested in Mexican American culture, and for groups wishing to conduct local community research using oral histories. The Mexican American Traditions in Nebraska project was designed to document and preserve the richness of Nebraska's Mexican culture. The project gathered the stories of 50 tradition bearers and community leaders from across the state. Interviews revealed that church, family, work, pride, respect for age and wisdom, and endurance in the face of poverty and discrimination are recurring themes among Nebraska's Mexican Americans. Some traditions such as music, dance, and food thrive, while other customs, such as the recitation of dichos (traditional proverbs) fade. Over the generations, use of the Spanish language is ebbing. As the language is forgotten, some traditions are not fully passed on to the next generation. As some traditions disappear, others are being revitalized, such as marking the site of traffic fatalities with crosses and flowers. Three other expressions of cultural values documented by the project are military service, sports, and murals. This publication presents a brief history of Mexican American emigration to Nebraska, followed by a general overview of project results and significant patterns identified. Short descriptions of each of the interviewees and the topics they discussed are presented. A resource guide presents 29 organizations, publications, and media productions. (TD)
