What is celebrated on May 5?
(2020) 2:58
(CNN) -
Guacamole and fajitas;
Mexican and mariachi flags;
margaritas, beer and… more beer.
In the United States, the quintessential Mexican holiday is Cinco de Mayo.
In Mexico, this date is also commemorated, but the local tributes pale next to the enormous celebration that takes place in the United States: there are offers in restaurants, abundant publicity and endless promotions.
These are five things you should know about Cinco de Mayo in the United States.
1. A David and Goliath victory
Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico's victory over France in the Battle of Puebla, which occurred on May 5, 1862.
By the end of 1861, Spain, the United Kingdom, and France had invaded Mexico, but within six months, the first two withdrew.
North of the border, the American Civil War was raging, so the French decided to take advantage of the chaos and invade Mexico, which had been destroyed by war in the late 1850s.
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The French advanced in April 1862 on the city of Puebla, located about 137 kilometers east of Mexico City.
A small army under the command of Ignacio Zaragoza defeated a larger French contingent.
Cinco de Mayo: These are questions (I kid you not) that people actually ask Google about this holiday
It was the classic David and Goliath victory and has been celebrated ever since for its symbolic value, though ultimately the French took Mexico and established a short-lived Second Mexican Empire under Emperor Maximilian.
2. It has a relationship with Texas
Zaragoza was born in what is now Goliad, Texas, about 10 miles north of Corpus Christi.
In 1999, the Texas Senate declared it the official place to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
And boy is it celebrated: there is live music, folk dances and barbecues.
There is also a giant party at the Goliad Fairgrounds.
"It has opened up Goliad's perspective. It's something we're all proud of. It's one of the reasons we hope our young people carry on the tradition," Emilio Vargas, a former justice of the peace, told the
Victoria Advocate
newspaper in Texas.
Cinco de Mayo celebration in New Mexico.
(PAUL RATJE/AFP via Getty Images)
3. It's a huge event, not just in the southwestern United States.
Among the highest quality and most visited festivals in the United States are the one in Chicago (the party in Douglas Park attracts 200,000 people), the one in Denver (400,000 people in two days), the one in Portland, Oregon (the festival in Douglas Park Waterfront attracts 300,000 people) and the one in St. Paul, Minnesota.
St.
Paul, Minnesota?
That's how it is.
The city has a neighborhood known as the Sun District, an area in western Minnesota that began attracting Mexican immigrants in the early 20th century.
There are now more than 25,000 Latino residents (about 10% of the city's population, according to the
St. Paul Historical
website ) and the Cinco de Mayo festival lasts for two days.
4. Why is it so American?
Although Americans have been celebrating Cinco de Mayo practically since the battle ended (particularly in the West), it was unknown in most of the United States until the 1960s, when Mexican-American activists began to bring it to prominence.
It has become a way to celebrate community pride.
But since it's the United States, it's also a great marketing opportunity.
Cinco de Mayo is one of the top five days for alcohol consumption in general.
5. Have you thought about trying the mole poblano?
Mexican cuisine is also recognized in the United States.
According to the magazine of the Smithsonian Institute, Pueblan cuisine is one of the best in Mexico.
So if you haven't tried some of these dishes now is a good time to do so: mole poblano, chalupas (thick tortillas with meat, sauce and onion) and chiles en nogada (fried chiles with walnut sauce, red pomegranate and parsley), displaying the colors of the Mexican flag.
Happy Holidays!
(This article was originally published in 2015 and has been updated)
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