Mass Quinceanera Celebration In Mexico Capital Marks Budding Womanhood [PHOTOS]

A mass Quinceañera ceremony was held in Mexico Saturday, where over 300 teenage girls flocked to the capital to mark their debut into society as adults.

Girls ringing in their 15th birthday this year donned bright ball gowns and glittering tiaras, as they toured the city aboard a bus. Dress rehearsals were held on previous days in preparation for the coming of age occasion April 28, the Daily Mail said.

According to the report, the city's mayor helps organize the mass celebration every year to keep down the cost of individual ceremonies.

The tradition, which holds origins in Spanish colonial times, is of great value in Mexico and several Hispanic communities, where the Quinceañera celebration marks a young girl's passage into womanhood. Several other countries mark the occasion differently. In Mexico, the celebration generally embarks with a thanksgiving mass, following which a huge reception is hosted for the birthday girl.

Here's a look at the mass Quinceañera celebration held in the nation's capital Saturday.