Colorful dresses. Music. Tacos. Cinco de Mayo has all that and more!
In Spanish, Cinco de Mayo means “the fifth of May.” On that date, people in Mexico and the United States throw parties. Folks dress in bright clothing. They play a style of Mexican music called mariachi. Popular foods include enchiladas and guacamole. Yum!
Ines Ruiz-Huston plans a Cinco de Mayo party in Stockton, California. “We have clothes and food from different regions of Mexico,” she said. “We also have floats, bands, and singers.” For Ruiz-Huston, part of the celebration is teaching the history of the holiday. She wants everyone to know: “Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexico’s day!”
So, what is Cinco de Mayo? The holiday marks the of a battle. On May 5, 1862, Mexican troops fought French soldiers in Puebla. The ruler of France, Napoleon III, wanted to take over Mexico. But Mexico fought back. Ignacio Zaragoza was Mexico’s general. And he beat the bigger French army!
This was the Battle of Puebla. But the victory didn’t last long. Zaragoza died later in 1862. The French captured Puebla in 1863. Then they took Mexico’s capital, Mexico City. French forces stayed in Mexico until 1867.
Catherine Goode is a historian. She said residents of Puebla remember the Battle of Puebla. “People mark the day with battle , mariachi music, or fireworks,” Goode explained. However, she said the holiday isn’t as important in other parts of Mexico. “For the most part, Mexicans simply do not celebrate.”
That’s not true in the United States. There are Cinco de Mayo events in many cities. Those include Los Angeles and New York City. And they’ve been happening for 100 years. “Communities made it a day to celebrate their links between Mexico and the United States,” said Goode. She said it helped Mexican Americans “celebrate their place in this country.”
Ruiz-Huston agrees. “This is a celebration of ,” she explained. “We’re Mexican,” added Ruiz-Huston. “But we’re also American.”
Updated May 4, 2023, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Tyler Burdick
