In a quinceañera, what Catholic ceremony may precede the reception as a thanksgiving for the celebrant?

A quinceañera may include a Misa de acción de gracias, or thanksgiving Mass, before the reception.

This Catholic service gives the celebrant and her family an opportunity to express gratitude and seek a blessing as she marks her fifteenth birthday. The Mass is especially associated with quinceañeras in communities where Catholic practice is important, although the celebration itself can also be secular.

A thanksgiving Mass is not the same sacrament as Confirmation, First Communion, or Baptism. Those are separate Catholic rites with different purposes and requirements. A quinceañera Mass is a special liturgy or parish service connected with the birthday rather than a sacrament.

The reception commonly follows with formal entrances, music, food, dances, symbolic gifts, and speeches. Customs vary widely by country, family, parish, and denomination, so not every quinceañera includes a church service.