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| Mike Manning, Charge of the Mexican Cavalry at the Battle of Puebla. Wikimedia Commions. |
"Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a holiday held on May 5. It is celebrated nationwide in the United States and regionally in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla. The date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride,and to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War. In the state of Puebla, the date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.Contrary to widespread popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico, which occurs on September 16th." -- Wikipedia
A major celebration of Hispanic heritage in North America, Cinco de Mayo's popularity can be traced to two causes: its significance for the U.S. Civil War, as the French Defeat kept Napoleon III from supporting the Confederacy, and also to join St. Patrick's Day, St. Joseph's Day, Columbus Day, Oktoberfest, Lunar New Year, Pride Day, etc, to highlight various ethnicities and interest groups in the U.S.
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