XV Años

The History of the XV Años, courtesy of Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quincea%C3%B1era

The Quinceañera or Quince año is, in some Spanish-speaking regions of the Americas, a young woman's celebration of her 15th birthday, which is commemorated in a unique and different way from her other birthdays. It is sometimes represented XV Años, meaning "15 years." Only a few countries call the actual party "quinceañera."
Besides referring to the actual festivities, the word is also used to refer to the young woman whose 15th birthday is being celebrated (analogous to the word cumpleañera for "birthday girl"). The closest equivalents to the quinceañera in the English-speaking world are the sweet sixteen, Bar or Bat Mitzvah for Jewish children turning 13, cotillion, or, in more affluent communities, the debutante ball for those who turn 18.

There are several different theories as to the origin of this celebration; the most common is that the quinceañera was the result of a blending of mostly religious traditions from both Spanish conquerors and the native people of Mexico. Specifically, this celebration contains elements of the coming of age traditions and Mexican ceremonies along with elements from Spanish culture.

The quinceañera resembles and probably gets its name from a 16th-century Spanish tradition of presenting one's 15-year-old daughter to society. Over time, as the natives were converted to Catholicism by Spanish missionaries, they also began to emulate some of the practices of the Spanish. In Mexican tradition, the celebration is festive gathering relatives and friends. This "Quinceanera" to the Spanish means a young girl is becoming a woman. The girl's court is often made up of all girls or all boys. It's also simaliar to the traditions of honduran quinces.