What is the Spanish name for the traditional 15th-birthday celebration?

The Spanish name for the traditional 15th-birthday celebration is quinceañera.

Quinceañera can refer both to the celebration and, depending on context, to the girl being honored. The term is derived from quince años, the Spanish phrase for “fifteen years.” The event is also called a fiesta de quince años or simply quince.

The custom is associated with Latin American cultures and with Latino communities elsewhere, particularly in the United States. Celebrations vary greatly: some are intimate family events, while others involve a church service, banquet, choreographed dances, and a large court of attendants.

The word is sometimes written without the ñ as quinceanera when Spanish diacritics are unavailable. In Spanish, the masculine form quinceañero is used in some communities for a boy’s corresponding celebration, but quinceañera remains the standard and most familiar term for the traditional girl’s milestone.