Quinceañera is the Mexican term, widely used in Latino communities, for a girl celebrating her fifteenth birthday and for the associated coming-of-age event. The feminine Spanish noun comes from quince, meaning fifteen.
In ordinary usage, quinceañera can identify the celebrant, the party, or the broader tradition. Mexican communities helped popularize the word internationally through migration, media, and commercial event industries, although related customs exist across many countries.
The masculine form quinceañero is used in some communities for boys, and alternative local names appear across Latin America. Usage is therefore not perfectly uniform, but quinceañera is the best-known English-language label.
The term does not describe a single required ceremony. Celebrations may be religious or secular, lavish or modest, and may include a court, formal dance, symbolic gifts, and a reception.