Do you celebrate Cinco De Mayo? Do you know what the Holiday represents? I can remember loving Cinco de Mayo in school because it meant getting to watch some of the students during assembly dance and play great music! Mexican food was served and a special keynote speaker would explain the significance and importance of the holiday. Now that I am out of school I don't do much to celebrate at all. We are having taco's for dinner and that's about as Cinco De Mayo as it gets in our household! Here's a few interesting facts I found while refreshing my memory about the holidays meaning!
- Cinco de Mayo means “the fifth of May.” Many people believe it is Mexico’s Independence Day, but that is incorrect. (Mexico’s Independence Day is September 16.) Rather, Cinco de Mayo is the anniversary of a battle that took place between the Mexicans and the French in 1862.
- The battle is known as the Battle of Puebla, and it celebrates Mexico’s victory over the French. It also marks a turning point in Mexican national pride. A small, poorly armed group of about 4,500 men were able to stop the French invasion of a well-equipped French army that had about 6,500 or even 8,000 soldiers. The victory made the Mexican people very happy, and helped create a feeling of national unity.
- The largest Cinco de Mayo event in the world is held in Los Angeles, California, where more than 600,000 people celebrate with music and food. The whole event is called Festival de Fiesta Broadway. Two other big festival are held far from Mexico, in Denver, Colorado, and St Paul’s, Minnesota, but they draw hundreds of thousands of participants.
- The Cinco de Mayo festival in Chandler, Arizona, is known for its Chihuahuas! There are Chihuahua parade, races and pageants. At the end, a King and Queen of the Chihuahuas are crowned.
Oreo says yells- Happy Cinco De Mayo!
