Cinco de Mayo

Widely celebrated in the US, Cinco de Mayo started as a victory celebration of the Mexican Army against French forces in the city of Puebla, on May 5, 1862. It is the single important victory of the Mexican people against Napoleon's army, which occupied Mexico at the time.

Although celebrated nationwide in Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is not a national holiday in Mexico. For the most part it is celebrated in the state of Puebla where the battle took place.

In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated to honor Mexican heritage and pride. The growth of the holiday in the US is generally credited with being a result of promotions by beer and liquor companies, along with the bars, taverns, and clubs that serve up libations. Throw in some good spicy Mexican cuisine; the restaurants got in on the promotion and the party grew.

With the origins of the day and the spread of the celebration, there has obviously been some confusion as to what exactly was being celebrated or commemorated. In the US, somewhat erroneously, Cinco de Mayo has been heavily promoted as Mexican Independence Day, which it is not. Mexican Independence Day is September 16. But hey, with the efforts of the bars and clubs, it has become an ever-growing party holiday and commemoration of Mexican heritage. Cinco de Mayo is even celebrated at the White House.

As with any melting pot culture, US holidays do tend to reflect just that, a melting pot celebration that spreads as the various cultures come together and each brings part of their own heritage into what has become the ever-changing mainstream American culture. That is one of the true riches of our land and culture and one we can all enjoy.

With that, we celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Let the parties begin!

For more info:

• Cinco de Mayo History.
• Mexican Food Recipes.
• Cinco de Mayo information for teachers.

For more on the history of Cinco de Mayo watch the video.

For a little bit more of a Mexican celebration and the music along with it, watch this one, or just listen and enjoy Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.

This article is part of the Ethnic Communities Series. Your comments and suggestions are welcome.  Subscribe to this feed and get an email update each time a new article is published.

Copyright 2010 Regina Garson. All rights reserved.