What Spanish term names a quinceañera’s formal thanksgiving ceremony?

Misa de acción de gracias is the Spanish term for the formal thanksgiving ceremony associated with a quinceañera.

The phrase literally means “Mass of thanksgiving.” In Catholic families, it describes a church service in which the family gives thanks for the honoree’s life and asks for guidance and blessings as she enters a new stage.

This service is often scheduled before the reception, but local practice is flexible. Some families use a regular parish Mass, while others arrange a dedicated service. The celebration may also omit a church service entirely, particularly in secular, Protestant, or mixed-faith families.

Misa de acción de gracias is not the same as the reception that follows it. The reception is the social celebration, while the Mass is the religious observance. English sources may shorten the description to “thanksgiving Mass,” but the full Spanish phrase is the precise traditional term.