Is May 5th really that special? Why of course! The Mexican community celebrates the holiday Cinco de Mayo on May 5th to commemorate the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla. With this victory, Mexico showed the world that all of Latin America was more than ready to defend themselves of any invasions or interventions.
The French began to occupy Mexico in the aftermath of the Mexican-American War of 1846 through 1848. A civil war and fighting the Americans during the 1850’s created a turmoil for the Mexican people, leaving them devastated and bankrupt.
In 1862, the French army began its advance. Under General Ignacio Zaragoza, 5,000 ill-equipped Mestizo and Zapotec Indians defeated the French army in what came to be known as the "Batalla de Puebla" on the fifth of May.
Batalla de Puebla, or the Battle of Puebla, later became known as 5 de Mayo. The holiday has been turned into a commercialized show of independence, which happened on September 16, 1810, nearly 50 years apart. Nonetheless, Latin Americans all around the world celebrate Cinco de Mayo, many by having parades, festivals, mariachi music, folklorico dancing, and all sorts of festive activities.