What is cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo, or 5 de Mayo in Spanish, means May 5th in english, is a commercial and cultural celebration in the US, known as Mexican Day or Mexican Culture Day.
Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico’s victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla, an old colonial city located 100 miles east of Mexico’s capital city.
The Mexican army defeated the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5th 1862. The battle was significant because first of all it was an underdog story. The new Mexican army, a few years after Independence from Spain, had to face the powerful French army, one of the best armies in the world at that time.
The Mexican army was very outnumbered, they had about half the soldiers that the French did and their army was not as well equipped as the French. One year after the 5 the mayo battle of Puebla, the French army took over Mexico and run the country as part of its empire for three years.
Cinco de Mayo celebration was used by Mexican food and beverage importers in the US to promote anything they sell, from Mexican avocados to Corona beer at restaurants, bars, home barbecues across the US.
In the US, Cinco de Mayo is full of events, parties and parades. For the US Hispanic population, it is kind of its “pride day”. Many civilian associations and cultural organizations get together to have parades, food tastings, and art displays on the streets, especially in cities with high Mexican immigration like Denver, Los Angeles, Chicago and througout Texas.
For the American population, Cinco de Mayo means grab lots of Corona or Tecate beers six-packs, and get drunk while having nachos and tortilla chips with tons of guacamaole made of Avocados from Mexico.
What is Cinco de Mayo in Mexico
In Mexico, 5 de Mayo is not even an official holiday like Independence Day (September 16th), Constitution Day, Benito Juarez Day, Easter, Labor Day and Xmas and New Year Eve. On Cinco de Mayo in Mexico, the mandatory celebration is only for elementary schools.
In Mexico, there are no Cinco de Mayo parties as it is a normal working day.
Many unread Americans go to Mexico on 5 de mayo, expecting to find parties and “go loco”. What a disappointment, you guys should better read some history on your neighboring countries.
Cinco de Mayo facts
Below you will find the Cinco the Mayo facts so as to not to look dumb claiming that Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence day!
Cinco de Mayo means May 5th. On 5 de Mayo 1862 the Mexican army defeated the French Army at the Battle of Puebla. Cinco de Mayo is commercial and cultural party date in the US, with parades, mexican food and beer and some cultural events. The Cinco de Mayo celebration in the US was created and is promoted by mexican beer and avocados from mexico importers in the US
Party in the US, not in Mexico. Cinco de Mayo is not mexican independence day, which is celebrated on September 16th. 80 millions of avocados in the form of guacamoles are consumed in the US every Cinco de Mayo, coupled with millions of gallons of Corona and Tecate beer.
Cinco de Mayo is on May 5th, or 5 de Mayo in Spanish. Although it might look like a stupid question, it really cares when is cinco de mayo, because it is not the same partying like crazy a Cinco de Mayo on a Tuesday (like Cinco de Mayo 2020), or on a weekend. If you wander when is cinco de mayo again on a weekend, I’m sorry to answer that it will not be cinco de mayo 2021, or cinco de mayo 2022, but cinco de mayo 2023 and cinco de mayo 2024 that will be celebrated on a Friday and a Saturday respectively. When Cinco de Mayo date is on a work day, most of the events and parties and celebrated the following weekend.
We celebrate Cinco de Mayo because there area over 35 million people from Mexican origin living in the US, both legally and illegally, and it is kind of “Pride Day” for them to show off their culture and especially what we in the US like more about it: beer, guacamole, avocados, tequila and tacos.
Wednesday, May 5th, 2021
Thursday, May 5th 2022
In the US, cinco de mayo is all about parties and drinking. For the hispanic / mexican community who migrated to the US, it is a celebration of its culture. For the Mexicans in Mexico, cinco de mayo or 5 de mayo is about the battle of Puebla celebration, a second rate commemoration in Mexico (it is a normal working day).
No, Mexican Independence Day is September 16th. Cinco de Mayo is called Mexican Day or Mexican Culture Day in the US.
No, at least not in the American way. Cinco de Mayo in Mexico, is called día de la Batalla de Puebla, a second degree Mexican national date. Only some companies give a free day to workers, and nobody gets (specifically) drunk that day.
Happy Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo on 5th of May is a commemoration of the victory of an outnumbered army of Mexicans over the French forces at the Battle of Puebla, that took place May 5th 1862.
The triumph of the Mexicans proved to the world that their will to defend their nation sovereignty will prevail against a powerful foreign invader.
Cinco de mayo celebration is often mistaken as Mexico’s Independence Day, which on the other hand is celebrated every 16th of September.
Though Cinco de Mayo has begun a relatively minor event in Mexico (not official holiday except for elementary schools, not parties, not drinking), today the United States of America significantly celebrates it by highlighting the Mexican American culture.
Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo by feasting on Mexican food, getting margarita happy and wearing loud sombreros.
What is Cinco de Mayo really about
So to give you a better understanding of what Cinco de Mayo is really about let’s take you back to where and how it all began.
Mexico had become greatly indebted to France, Britain and Spain as a result of the mexican-american war and Mexican Reform war. Mexican president Benito Juarez suspended the payments of Mexico’s debts for two years, and only France turned down the notion of a negotiation.
Napoleon III, then ruler of France, saw this as an opportunity to build the second Mexican Empire in Mexico, with France reaping the benefits.
During the later part of 1861, France’s fleet attacked Veracruz and halted Juarez and his government in May 1862 the French force led by General Charles de Laurence attacked Mexico City but were resisted by General Ignacio Zaragoza strong-willed Mexican troops near Puebla de los Angeles, the official name of the city of Puebla.
Som 2.000 poorly equipped Mexican fighters stood against the 6,000 well-armed French men known as the world’s premier army. Nearly 500 French soldiers and fewer than 100 Mexicans had been killed in the battle that went on from dawn till dusk.
Sensing the obvious defeat, the French forces retreated.
Mexico’s determination unity and patriotism won over France brutal force, a much-needed morale boost not only to the Mexican army but to Mexico as a nation that had lost a war against the US and lost a substantial part of its territory as a consequence.