A short history of Cinco de Mayo and how it is celebrated

4 min read

2 years ago Danilo

Do you know the real meaning of Cinco de Mayo?
Here’s a brief history of this holiday and how it’s celebrated.
It occurs annually on May 5, and It is not a public holiday, with businesses have their regular hours.
First, note that May 5 isn’t Mexico’s Independence Day, which is actually on September 16, 1810, and freed Mexicans from Spanish rule.
Cinco de Mayo is about a military victory over the French on May 5, 1862, which was over half a century later, and the first holiday is believed to have been celebrated in California in 1863, following the Battle of Puebla.
Not by chance, today Cinco de Mayo is celebrated by the Mexican state of Puebla, as well as Mexican-American immigrants in parts of the United States.
Similar to St. Patrick’s Day for Irish Americans, it’s a day of pride to honor Mexican heritage and culture.

But let’s start from the beginning.
In the early 1860s, Mexico was in financial trouble and defaulted on its foreign debts. As a result, the country was invaded by several European powers, including France, which sought to collect on its debts and establish a colonial presence, a French state, in Mexico.
Mexican President Benito Juárez immediately resisted Napoleon III’s French forces, blocking the advances in the fortified city of Puebla, where French commanders had ordered an assault.
Led by General Ignacio Zaragoza, the Mexican forces defeated the rivals at the “Batalla de Puebla”, the Battle of Puebla.
Despite being ill-equipped and outnumbered, the troops held off the French advances, thanks to the positioning of hilltop forts Loreto and Guadalupe and a deep trench.
The fierce battle, part of a French offensive to expand France’s empire in the New World, where hundreds of French troops and less than 100 Mexicans were killed, lasted less than a day.
After a brutal civil war, Mexican leader Benito Juárez suspended foreign debt payments.
As a reply, Spain, France, and England sent forces to Mexico, but only France undertook significant military action.
While the war with France was far from over, following Mexico’s victory at the Battle of Puebla, it was seen as a symbol of the Mexican resistance against foreign domination.
The city was later renamed Puebla de Zaragoza, as a museum devoted to the battle’s historical significance, and the battlefield is maintained as a park.

On modern days, Cinco de Mayo is seen as a day to celebrate the culture and heritage of people with a Mexican background, and there is an emphasis on Mexican services and goods, especially food, drinks, music, and dancing.
Cinco de Mayo is not a national holiday in Mexico, and is primarily celebrated in the state of Puebla, where the battle took place.
There the holiday is marked with parades, military reenactments, and other cultural events. There are also numerous food festivals and culinary events that celebrate Mexican cuisine, including the traditional dish of mole poblano, a culinary dish that is associated with Cinco de Mayo that combines chiles, fruits, nuts, and Mexican chocolate to create a sauce that is typically served over pork, chicken, or turkey.
Throughout Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is also celebrated with traditional Mexican music and dancing, like mariachi and folklórico. In addition, many people in Mexico participate in public festivals, carnivals and fairs, which often feature traditional Mexican games and activities, such as piñatas and donkey rides.

Interestingly, It is estimated that more than 80 million pounds of avocados are consumed annually during the holiday’s celebrations!
Large Cinco de Mayo celebrations are primarily held in southwestern U.S. cities with large populations of Americans of Mexican origins, including Fiesta Broadway in Los Angeles.
A number of cities, including Denver and Washington D.C., even host chihuahua races!
Many cities in the United States with large Mexican-American populations hold festivals and celebrations that feature live music, traditional Mexican food and drink, and cultural exhibits. Some of these events are organized by Mexican-American community organizations, while others are sponsored by local businesses or government agencies.
Cinco de Mayo is also not a national holiday in the United States, but people still celebrate it as a way to honor Mexican culture and heritage, and to honor the contributions of Mexican-Americans to American society.