A sweet sixteen is a coming of age party celebrating a teenager's 16th birthday in North America, primarily in the United States and Canada.

A sweet sixteen is similar to a quinceañera. Like a wedding, this event can be formal, casual, or semi-formal.

Sweet sixteens can range from modest parties at home with close family to large affairs with a hired DJ, makeup, hair styling, expensive gowns and dresses, and hotel ballrooms. Even if it is a small party, the main purpose of the party is to celebrate the person becoming "older" and entering a different stage of their life. Typically this is the last big birthday party a teenager would have. Although it is common that Sweet Sixteens are mostly celebrated for girls, they can also be celebrated for boys.

From Wikipedia