The quinceañera tradition in which a younger child receives the celebrant’s childhood doll is called the last doll.
The doll represents childhood, and passing it to a younger girl symbolizes the celebrant’s movement into a new stage of life. In some celebrations, the quinceañera carries or receives the doll and then gives it to a younger sibling, cousin, or another child. The presentation can be part of the formal program or a private family moment.
The custom is often described alongside other symbolic rituals, including the changing of shoes, the presentation of a tiara, and a father-daughter dance. None of these elements is mandatory. A family may include only some of them, replace the doll with another keepsake, or omit symbolic presentations altogether.
The “last doll” is therefore a cultural symbol, not a legal or religious requirement. It also differs from a doll used as a centerpiece or decoration. Its meaning comes from the act of giving away a childhood possession as the fifteenth-birthday celebration marks a new phase.