The Spanish word for the girl whose fifteenth birthday is celebrated is quinceañera.
In ordinary English usage, quinceañera can describe the entire celebration, but in Spanish it can also identify the young woman being honored. The masculine counterpart sometimes used for a boy’s celebration is quinceañero. The word is formed from quince, meaning fifteen, with a feminine ending.
A quinceañera is not simply a birthday party in the conventional sense. It often combines family ceremony, religious observance, formal clothing, choreographed dancing, and a large communal meal. The exact order and symbolism vary widely among Mexican, Central American, South American, Caribbean, and diaspora families.
The term is sometimes misspelled without the ñ as “quinceanera.” The tilde matters in Spanish spelling, although the unaccented form is common in English-language typing. The word also appears in titles for films, books, venues, and commercial services connected with the celebration.