The Spanish word “quinceañera” describes a girl celebrating her fifteenth birthday and its associated coming-of-age tradition.
The term combines quince, meaning “fifteen,” with a suffix related to age or years. In common usage, it can refer both to the celebrant and to the celebration itself. In English-language contexts, the word is usually retained in Spanish because it names a specific cultural tradition.
A quinceañera is more than an ordinary birthday party in its traditional form. It may include a religious service, a formal reception, special clothing, attendants, symbolic gifts, and ceremonial dances. Customs vary considerably among families, countries, and religious communities.
The masculine term quinceañero is sometimes used for a boy’s fifteenth-birthday celebration, but it is not interchangeable with quinceañera. The word quinceañera also does not simply mean any fifteen-year-old girl; it most specifically refers to the celebrant or the rite marking her fifteenth birthday.