We never had a quinces because we hated our friends and never considered ourselves part of any social circle worth coming out to, but we’ve gone to enough of them to wonder what the hell, exactly, is the point of a quinces court. Now we find out there’s such a thing as a “Dame del Honor,” which sounds to us like an additional excuse to stir up some Jessica McClintock-clad duhrama among a young girl’s high school friends. What is she supposed to do, anyway? Let’s put on our rhinestone tiaras and investigate, shall we?:

Sort of like a maid of honor at a wedding celebration, the Dama del Honor of a Quinceanera honor court is the quince girl’s “right hand woman” that helps with all the many details that go into planning the event. While it’s true that quince anos girls have their parents and padrinos to help them, a dama del honor works in areas the girl’s other helpers might not be the most expert - like gown styles, and what music to play at the fiesta.

As you might expect, the position of the Dama del Honor is quite an honor. [Ed. note: Sigh.] Choosing one friend or relative over another might hurt someone’s feelings - and that’s definitely not what the Quinceanera is about!

Actually, we thought that’s exactly what being a quinceañera is about.

The role of the Damas del Honor is to act in place of the Quinceanera girl if, for any reason, she’s too busy or unable to act on her own behalf. For example, organizing the Court of Honor’s rehearsals for the choreographed fiesta dance. The Damas del Honor might also help the fiesta DJ devise the evening’s songlist.

That’s really sweet, actually. You don’t want to worry about whether or not the DJ is going to remember to play “The Anthem, featuring Lil’ Jon” while you’re giving Hector a hand job in the bathroom at the airport Marriott during your quinces.

How to Gain a Dama del Honor Without Losing Any Friends [CIMS Hispanic Tips]