“Quinceañeras are as big as a wedding for a girl in a Latin culture, and my parents said I couldn’t have one because we didn’t have the money and my older sisters didn’t have one. But I said, ‘I’ll earn the money and give myself one.’ And so I took my Wendy’s salary and gave myself my own quinceañera.”—Eva Longoria, Desperate Housewives

“I had 14 of my cousins and friends as damas. We did a waltz and a merengue for everyone. My uncle choreographed our dance, but unfortunately someone put on the wrong song for our performance. It went too fast! Somehow, we all managed to do the choreography—just like 20 times faster. At the end, we were high-fiving each other because we were so proud we’d made it through!” —Justina Machado, Six Feet Under

“I didn’t have a quince, but two of my friends did. The first one was extravagant, with about 100 guests. There was great food—and great Latin music! The dance floor was jam-packed! The second one was in my friend’s back­yard. I had fun because the girl was my basketball teammate, and I would have paid to see her in a dress. The fact that I got to for free was a definite plus! But the best part was when I danced with her gorgeous brother. I’d had a crush on him forever!” —Emily Rios, Quinceañera

“I danced the whole night. Every time I went to sit down, another great song came on and someone was pulling me up for a dance. We listened to lots of salsa music: El Gran Combo, and Gloria Estefan’s Mi Tierra album. But my most memorable moment was my mom’s speech about remembering when they handed me to her when I was born and how proud she was of the young woman I was becoming. It was so sweet, she made me cry.” —Adrienne Bailon, The Cheetah Girls

“Even though my parents are both Cuban, I didn’t really get the concept of a quinceañera. So I didn’t plan one. But then I was invited to a friend’s. It was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen. Of course, after that, I wanted my own. But it was too late. So for my sweet 16, I incorporated some quince traditions, like dancing with my father and the candle ceremony. Now I realize that cultural tradition is important; it’s what connects us to our roots and makes us feel special and unique.” —Melissa Gallo, One Life to Live

“I didn’t have a quinceañera, but I was my best friend’s damitas de honor! We prepared six months before the event for our dance routine—a salsa/mambo to “No le Pegue a la Negra” by the singer Raulin ­Rosendo. We got to wear these great costumes—similar to a belly-dance outfit. It was so much fun. Also, during the night, my friend handed out candles to the most important people in her life, and I got one!” —Kat DeLuna, singer

“I’m very excited for my quinceañera! But my vision of a 15th is not traditional. I’m giving my quince a 21st-century twist. I’ll spend the day doing my favorite childhood things, then join friends and family for dinner at a restaurant. Every girl will receive a gift bag that will include a tiara. It’s a tradition for quinces to wear one, but I feel that all the girls should be princesses for the night, not just me.” —Shelbie Bruce, actress, Spanglish

“I attended my younger sister’s quinceañera. It was a special day in our family because she was the first one to have a quinceañera. It is so beautiful to see a little girl transition into womanhood and for her to experience it with all of her friends. The choreographed dance was the most memorable part—and definitely my favorite.” —Ana Ortiz, actress, Ugly Betty

“Once I slipped on my dress, we took lots of family pictures to capture the moment. My most amazing memory from my quince was seeing everyone—all the damas and chambelans—dressed and ready for our finishing dance. It was a big day for me, and this was our chance to show everybody how much time and effort we put into our preparations.” —Paula DeAnda, singer

“At my quinceañera, it was like I was growing up right in front of everyone. I had such a big dress. I looked like a bridesmaid! The Spanish music was great —everyone was dancing. My most amazing memory of the night was when my father changed my shoes into heels. It was a wonderful moment to share with him.” —Jaslene Gonzalez, winner, America’s Next Top Model