In a traditional quinceañera, what religious ceremony often takes place before the reception?

A Thanksgiving Mass often takes place before a traditional quinceañera reception.

In Catholic families, this service is commonly called a Misa de acción de gracias, or Mass of thanksgiving. The quinceañera and her family attend church to give thanks for her life and to ask for guidance as she enters a new stage.

The Mass is not universal. Quinceañeras may be celebrated with a religious service, a civil ceremony, or only a party, depending on the family’s beliefs and location. The reception usually follows and may include a formal entrance, a court, symbolic gifts, dinner, and dancing.

A Thanksgiving Mass should not be confused with a baptism or First Communion. Those are separate Catholic sacraments. A quinceañera is a cultural coming-of-age celebration, not a sacrament, even when it is held in a church.