B. La Boda
In México, one can have a civil wedding, a wedding in a church, or a non-traditional wedding as the ancient Aztecs would have celebrated. Many of the young people whom I interviewed felt that a wedding in a church is necessary for them to feel married in the eyes of God, as well as in the eyes of the government.
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Mira estas fotos de una boda tradicional en una iglesia, y una boda Azteca.
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A very interesting custom in Mexico and many Hispanic countries is that of the wife´s name after marriage. Although many perceive Hispanic women as being "behind the times" in terms of the feminist movement, as we know it in the United States, they have always been very independent in terms of taking their husband´s name after marriage. For example, if Susana Margarita Ruego Ruiz (remember that Ruego is her dad´s last name) married Juan Marco Ramirez Prado, she would still be Susana Margarita Ruego Ruiz after her wedding. She may elect to add Ramirez to her name, but very often women do not add the husband´s name. If they do, they often will add "de and the husband´s last name" to their other names. ¡Qué nombre, eh! Susana Margarita Ruego Ruiz de Ramírez, or simply, Susana Margarita Ruego Ramírez.
5) Escribe el nombre como si la persona estuviera casado/a.
Write the woman´s name as if she were married. You can use your boyfriend/girlfriend, or pick someone famous, if you´d like. Write the name 1. as you would if the woman doesn´t take her husband´s name, and 2. as you would if she does take her husband´s name.
Write your mom´s name as if she had kept her maiden name and added de and your father´s name.
La Primera Comunión: Los jóvenes que son católicos reciben instrucciones en catecismo (la doctrina y las creencias de la iglesia). Después de las instrucciones, reciben su primera comunión. Es un día muy importante para ellos. Generalmente, las chicas se visten en vestidos blancos casi como si fuera una boda.
Mira esta foto de unas chicas que reciben su primera comunión.
Quinceañera: Otra ocasión religiosa y social que es importante se llama la quinceañera*. Se celebra cuando una joven cumple* quince años. Muchas veces se celebra con misa* en la iglesia (si ella es católica) y con una fiesta muy grande. Generalmente, hay muchos invitados* y regalos para la joven. Ella se viste muy elegante y va a misa antes de la fiesta. Muchas veces ella les da regalos a sus invitados como recuerdos* de la ocasión.
*Quinceañera -- fifteenth birthday *cumple -- completes, becomes *misa -- mass *invitados -- guests
*recuerdos -- souvenirs, favors, reminders of a special occasion
