What is the Spanish name for the fifteenth-birthday celebration itself?

Quinceañera is the Spanish name for the fifteenth-birthday celebration itself.

The same word can refer to the girl being honored, so context matters. In English, “a quinceañera” often means the event, while “the quinceañera” can also mean the celebrant. Spanish usage likewise allows the term to identify the young woman and the occasion.

The tradition is especially associated with Latin America, Spain-influenced communities, and Latino communities in the United States. Its exact form is not uniform. Some celebrations emphasize a Catholic Mass, while others are secular or combine religious and cultural elements.

Other Spanish event words have different meanings. Bautizo means baptism, graduación means graduation, and despedida means farewell. None names the fifteenth-birthday tradition.