The History and how it’s celebrated

Every May fifth, a great holiday comes around. Many people have heard of it because of the internet, or even from school, such as in Spanish class. This holiday is known as Cinco de Mayo.

Cinco de Mayo has quite some history to it. On this day, the Mexican army defeated the French army during the Battle of Puebla. This war began because the president of Mexico stopped paying interest on the debt he owed other countries, including France. While the other countries agreed to forgive this, France did not. They invaded Mexico, which led to the Battle of Puebla. The battle lasted from daybreak to early evening.

Heading into this fight, Mexico had very few troop members, compared to the French army. They had minimal amounts of resources, like equipment and armory. France completely overpowered them, with almost double their number of soldiers. France surrendered to the Mexican army. At the end of the fight, about 500 French soldiers died, while only 100 Mexican soldiers died. It ended up being a monumental victory for the government.

Today, Cinco de Mayo is mainly celebrated in Mexico and America. Cinco de Mayo is not largely celebrated in Mexican homes. The largest celebration occurs in the city of Puebla, where the battle took place. Some events they do are parades, and recreations of the fight. With that said, Cinco de Mayo is still not considered a significant holiday. Therefore, many businesses, banks, and stores stay open.

It is celebrated more widely in America. Cinco de Mayo is considered a part of Mexican culture and heritage. However, it wasn’t always celebrated in America. Chicanos (Mexican-Americans) started advocating for Cinco de Mayo to be acknowledged in the 1960s. They wanted cultural representation in America. Cinco de Mayo is usually celebrated with parades, parties, music, and dancing.

Cinco de Mayo is an important holiday and event in the history of Mexico. It resembles victory and freedom for the people of Mexico. Celebrating it shows support for this victory of indigenous Mexicans against the powerful French army

Written by Isabella Beck   | Graphic Designed by Isabella Beck

Published May 5, 2021 | ePathfinder | Feature