Now that my son is about to turn 16 in a few months, I started to think about the origin of the Sweet 16 and why there are parties just for girls turning 16. Why not boys?
As I scoured the Internet looking for answers to my question, I came across many other questions with no answers. Some say that the Sweet 16 came about because of the Spanish/Mexican Quinceanera party, when a girl becomes 15, there’s a big party/celebration of the coming of age.
So if 16 is a coming of age, why not have a sweet 16 for a boy?
Interestingly, there are many variations of Sweet 16’s that I never heard of. When my daughter had a Sweet 16, we had a candle lighting ceremony, which is customary. But, I never heard of the Shoe Ceremony, where fathers, grandfathers, etc. approach the Sweet 16 with various high heels.
I also never heard of the Tiara ceremony, where the mother approaches the Sweet 16 with a Tiara, but according to the Internet, these ceremonies are part of tradition.
Coming of age celebrations take place in many different cultures – Latin American – Quinceanera; Jewish American – Bar/Bat Mitzvah; Catholic American – Confirmation; and Chinese American – Ji Li for girls of 15 and Guan Li for boys of 20.
Sweet 16 parties and celebrations performed in American/Canadian culture. Other places have other celebrations but still the question remains, why aren’t boys included in the Sweet 16?
Shouldn’t there be a “handsome 16?”
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