What does the commemoration of May 5 mean?
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(CNN) -
Here's a look at the Cinco de Mayo celebration commemorating the Mexican Army's victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. This battle is commemorated every year.
MIRA: Tourist guide to Mexican culture in the US: and it's not just for Cinco de Mayo!
The Mexican army under Ignacio Zaragoza, despite being smaller and poorly equipped, won the battle in the city of Puebla, about 140 kilometers east of Mexico City.
Cinco de Mayo is not the day of Mexico's independence from Spain, which occurred in 1810 and is celebrated on September 16.
In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated with political speeches and reenactments of battles.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the day was associated with the Chicano rights movement in the United States, especially in the state of California.
The day became a celebration of Hispanic heritage.
In many cities in the United States there are parades and festivities with mariachi music, dances and Mexican food.
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The other creative ways to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in pictures (pre-pandemic): San Antonio, Texas - San Antonio's Market Square is home to shops and restaurants and usually features live entertainment.
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San Antonio, Texas: El Mercado stores sell Mexican products.
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San Diego, California - Old San Diego features preserved and restored wood and adobe buildings.
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San Diego, California - The area is home to a thriving shopping and restaurant scene.
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Pueblo, Colorado: A stand near Pueblo sells green chili peppers.
In September, the city organizes a Festival of Chile and Beans.
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Pueblo, Colorado - The Arkansas Riverwalk brought the river back to the heart of downtown after it was diverted in the 1920s.
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| Tubac, Arizona: When you're done visiting the galleries in Tubac, head over to Elvira's restaurant, which was founded in 1927 in Nogales, Mexico, and reopened in Tubac.