Filipino Tradition: 18th Birthday Debut
One of the most important and memorable birthday celebrations in the Philippines is the 18th debut. It is the celebration when the young woman finally hits 18 years of age. This is called the age of maturity at the same time the beginning of legality.
18 Roses
This is one of the most romantic experience during the 18th Birthday Debut celebration. During the 18 roses, 18 men will dance with the debutante or birthday celebrant. The first man who will dance with the celebrant is the father and the last dance is someone special or the lover of the debutant. Each man who dances with the debutante will give one rose, after the dance it will be a total of 18 roses.
18 Candles
Eighteen women will hold a candle each. They will give their speech and wishes for the debutante in front of the people. They will stand and speak on the microphone as they give their speech for the debutante. After every women from the 18 candles done speaking, they will form a straight a line and the debutante will blow each of the candles one by one.
Disco party
A birthday celebration won't be complete without a disco party. Filipinos love to party and dance under the Disco ball lights. This is how sociable every Filipino people and this makes the celebration a lot memorable. Anyone can join regardless of the age, all you have to do is to feel the music and join along with the vibes. The fun never ends and this is one of the exciting part of the debutante's birthday celebration.
Fairytale like venue
For wealthy people, they like to make the celebration a fairytale-like experience, so they will hire an event manager who will be in charge in designing the hotel including the lights and the music. It is not necessary to celebrate the 18th birthday on a very prestigious hotel. You can choose any kind of set-up. It could be in the beach or even in the house only. It really depends on how the family and relatives of the debutante prepare for the celebration.
Karaoke
We have a culture in the Philippines where we like to have a Karaoke sing-along everytime there's a birthday occasions. For us, it makes the event a lot memorable and it strengthens the relationship of everyone inside the celebration.
The foods
Most of the commonly served foods during the 18th birthday celebration are the following:
Lechon: This is the star of the table. It is a roasted pig served whole and everyone is very free to take a slice of roasted meat.
Desserts: Filipinos' favorite desserts are spaghetti, macaroni salad, mango float, cupcakes and most all the gigantic cake of the celebrant on top of the table. This is the most iconic.
Dish: One of the popular dish served during the 18th birthday celebration in Philippines is lumpia, it is a fried crispy spring rolls. Next to this is Bihon or Pancit which is a traditional noodle dish. The fried chicken will also never be missing. The pork adobo, menudo, grilled fish and a lot of pork and chicken are cooked in different ways just to make everyone happy and full inside the celebration. This is how hospitable every Filipinos to their guest.
Before the 18th birthday of every young Filipina woman, there will be an 18th birthday pre-debut photoshoot including a sneak peek video of the celebrant. This is really cultural to us and it means a lot to every celebrant. The debutante can choose any kind of theme that best represents her stage of entering legality and becoming a grown up woman.
In Philippines, the 18th birthday celebration is really an important event that shouldn't be missed. Every Filipino parents are planning and saving because it only happens once in a lifetime. This is the most memorable and unforgettable event in every young Filipina woman's life. This is the age where the young lady blooms into womanhood. This is one of the most beautiful and everlasting culture and tradition in the Philippines. We are very proud to share it across the world and we will never let this tradition disappear or end.
July 19, 2022
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Having a debut celebration is good, however, this must not be set as a requisite when entering into legality. It's just that, there are actually teenagers out there who force their parents to have a grandiose celebration even though the parents only early small amount of money. On the other hand, I salute those teenagers who never demanded such celebration to their parents. Nice content. See you around.