In a traditional quinceañera, the celebrant often receives a tiara from her parents as a symbol of maturity.
The tiara ceremony, sometimes called the crowning, presents the quinceañera as the honored young woman of the event. A parent or another important relative may place the tiara on her head during the reception or a related ceremony. The moment is symbolic rather than a legal declaration of adulthood.
Customs vary widely. Some families use a crown, while others choose jewelry or omit the ritual entirely. The tiara should not be confused with the separate shoe ceremony, in which footwear may symbolize a transition from childhood. Neither ritual is required for a celebration to be recognized as a quinceañera.