A Roman Catholic Mass may accompany a traditional quinceañera before the reception.
For Catholic families, the celebration can begin with a special Mass, sometimes called a quinceañera Mass, in which the young woman gives thanks and receives a blessing. Family members and attendants may participate, and the service can include readings, prayers, and music according to local church practice.
The Mass is a religious component, while the party afterward is the social celebration. Not every quinceañera includes a church service: families may be non-Catholic, nonreligious, or living in a place where a parish does not offer the ceremony.
Mass should not be confused with baptism, which is a separate sacrament, or confession, which is a sacrament of reconciliation. A quinceañera Mass does not make the fifteenth birthday a sacrament; it is a worship service associated with the milestone.