The fifteenth-birthday celebration is commonly called a quinceañera in English.
English-language usage borrowed the Spanish term because it identifies a specific Latin American tradition rather than a generic birthday party. Depending on context, the word can mean the celebrant, the event, or the broader custom associated with turning 15.
The celebration often combines family gathering, formal clothing, music, dance, food, photography, and symbolic moments. Some families also include a Catholic thanksgiving Mass, while others hold a secular reception or adapt the event to another faith and cultural background.
A quinceañera is sometimes compared with a “sweet sixteen,” but the two traditions are not identical. A sweet sixteen is generally associated with an English-speaking North American birthday custom, while quinceañera has Spanish-language roots and a distinctive set of Latin American ceremonial practices.