A traditional quinceañera celebrates a girl reaching 15 years of age.
The Spanish word quinceañera is related to quince, meaning “fifteen.” In many Latin American communities, the birthday marks a symbolic transition from childhood toward young womanhood, although modern celebrations can interpret that transition in more personal and varied ways.
The event is not the same as a legal adulthood ceremony. Legal adulthood depends on the laws of the country, and a quinceañera may include religious, family, cultural, or purely social elements. Some families celebrate boys with a quinceañero or another 15th-birthday event, but the best-known tradition is the quinceañera for girls.