Sweet Sixteen.....?

Stuart Ablett

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Tokyo Japan
Our eldest daughter, Erika, who is now in Canada is turning 16 in May. I was under the impression that a traditional "Sweet Sixteen" gift from the parents of the girl was a string of pearls..... :dunno:

Is this out of date or something? I've searched around the net, and just about everywhere suggests a credit card :eek: or a new car :huh:

Neither of those are going to happen, but I thought it was tradition to give a string of pearls, a pear necklace....?

I guess I should ask my mom, but I thought I'd tap the brain trust here :wave:

Cheers!
 
Never heard that one.
These days a new car might be cheaper though. ;)
We took our daughter and a friend out for dinner for her 16th. At that age, I was keeping an eye on her. Still am. :rolleyes:

Edit: Amost forgot: Congratualtions to Erika on her 16th. And you and your wife for surviving this long.
 
Stu,

Never heard that one, but then, I don't have any girls. Wiki is silent on the subject of pearls as a gift for this. A quick web search turned up next to nothing. I'll ask Doorlink, she should know. Around these parts, though, fifteen is the new sixteen. Doorlink gets asked to sing at quite a few Quinceañeras...

Just hang on, we'll find an answer!

Thanks,

Bill
 
All my daughters got a ring with their birthstone in it for their sweet 16 and dinner out with the family.
Never heard of pearls before. My wife didn't get a pearl necklace until around our 15th anniversary or so.

Cars, pearls, credit card ???? Holy cow they are just turning 16 not getting married :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
I have never heard of that tradition... however I don't get out much ;)
As far as I have ever known/believed it should be something special and memorable, though not anything specific. I know *my* daughters will get neither a credit card or a car for their 16th.... I am pretty sure they just want an awesome party.
Honestly you and your wife know your daughter best and what she would love. If you think a strand of pearls is it then go for it.
Oh... and pearls don't have to be extremely expensive, freshwater ones are pretty reasonable and still quite pretty. South seas saltwater pearls on the other hand...... maybe they are cheaper in Japan though!
 
Well, if the gift was coming from a boyfriend, I'd say 16 red roses. (That's what I did for my then girlfriend when she turned 16, but that was, well, a long time ago.:rolleyes:) Don't know from Mom and Dad. But if she likes that type of jewelery, then they would be special to her for a long time. Jim.
 
make it an event she will never forget.
maybe since youre there, and shes here, rent her a limo, and let her take a few of her closest friends out to a show and dinner. very popular down here when parties that cost a freekin fortune are out of the parents reach. or just a dinner reservations with her closest friends will be something shes going to remember.
new car? credit card? what are you going to do when she turns 18, then 21, btw, they allow alocoholic beverages at 19 in canada.....not that I want to worry you.
 
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My daughter is only 4 but I can tell you what she is getting for her sweet sixteen gift...a 2006 Ford Focus Wagon...and yes that is what I drive now...it should be just about broken in by then. :D:rofl:

My sister did get a car on her 16th bday...I think it was $1000 and she had to pay for the insurance and gas. Same for me and my brother although ours were under $1000. Girls always get better gifts! :rolleyes:
 
Vaguely deep back in the recesses of my poor ole brain, I think I've heard that, but since I had a boy, he got a car at 16 - and a job to pay for it... I just co-signed the loan.

Congrats to you, your wife and daughter.... and wishing many more.
 
Well I thank you all for the info, I asked my mom, Grama, and she says that it is a tradition, I dunno if that is a regional thing, or a family thing, but that is what she got for her sweet 16 and my sister too, as well as all of my girl cousins, so I guess that is what we are in the market for.

Now we have to find a reasonable string, boy do the prices vary :eek:
 
I think you are right, 16 is more of the "Coming out" age where these fine debutants were introduced to the eligible young men and a set of pearls would introduce them as lovely, pure, and of some wealth... (In other words, "Hey guys, get her out of my house, I'll throw in some beads to boot...") :rofl:

Todays "Debs" would rather have a Credit card, Car, Cell phone or I-Pad...:wave:

Perhaps a contribution to her College Fund is in better order, or even start one for her and perhaps suggest to the other relatives to do likewise.... Maybe (behind her back) confer with the rest of the family members to contribute together and set up a growing college trust fund that can be added to untill she needs it. Then her real "Coming Out" can begin.

What a good surprise to present a decent sized "Schollarship Fund" from the family, rather than a several gift boxes of meaningless tokens... :thumb:
 
I dunna bill. to say a girls sweet sixteen gifts are meaningless?
My wife still has the inexpensive piece of jewerly I gave to her back in 72 at her sweet sixteen.

More sentimental than sensible... Perhaps it was that teenage charm, the glint in your eye that won her over :thumb: Perhaps if she had been offered educational funding she might have forsaken your jesture of grandure and scurried down a different path seeking fame and fortune and forsaken her life of bliss and blessing with a fellow who wears dusty clothes and makes things of wood. :dunno: To each his own but not every sweet 16 is blessed with your charms, to those an education is a better choice.
 
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