The Spanish-language name for a girl celebrating her fifteenth birthday is quinceañera. The same word is also widely used in English for the party itself, although Spanish usage can distinguish the celebrant from the fiesta de quince años.
The noun comes from quince, meaning fifteen, with a feminine ending. In many communities, the celebration marks a symbolic passage from childhood toward young womanhood rather than a legal change of status.
A quinceañera may wear a formal gown and participate in a church blessing, a choreographed dance and a reception. Customs differ substantially between regions and families, so no single schedule or ritual is universal.
The masculine form quinceañero exists, but girls' celebrations have historically been more common and more publicly recognizable. Accents matter in Spanish spelling: quinceañera uses the ñ letter and an acute accent on the final á.