A quinceañera traditionally celebrates a girl's 15th birthday.
The word refers both to the honoree and to the celebration marking this milestone. In many Latin American communities, the event symbolizes a transition from childhood toward young womanhood, although families interpret that transition in different ways.
A quinceañera commonly combines a formal ceremony, a family gathering, special clothing, music, dancing, and symbolic gifts. Some families hold a Catholic Mass, while others choose a secular ceremony or reception. The customs vary by country, region, religion, and family.
The celebration is not legally equivalent to adulthood. Legal adulthood and marriageable age differ among countries, so the symbolic meaning of turning 15 should not be confused with a universal legal status.