What Spanish phrase means “fifteen years” in the name fiesta de quince años?

The Spanish phrase quince años means “fifteen years” and appears in the common name fiesta de quince años.

The phrase describes the age milestone at the center of the celebration. In Spanish, quince means fifteen and años means years. The wording therefore makes the birthday connection explicit rather than referring only to a person or a party.

Different communities use several labels for the same broad tradition, including quinceañera, quince, quince años, and fiesta de quince. These names can carry slightly different regional or social associations, but all commonly point to a girl’s fifteenth-birthday celebration.

The phrase should not be interpreted as a reference to a fifteen-day festival. It identifies the celebrant’s age, and the event itself may last only one day, commonly with a Mass and reception.