It’s about more than mariachi and margaritas.
Millions of Americans will kick off this weekend at Cinco de Mayo-themed parties across the country. But often the significance of this holiday gets lost in the blaring mariachi, the sombreros, and the waves of Corona that are consumed each year on May 5.
Before shooting back that Jose Cuervo, we’re taking a look at what you’re actually toasting to. Here’s a primer on Cinco de Mayo’s rich history and why it’s celebrated. (Hint: it’s not Mexico’s Independence Day.)
What is Cinco de Mayo?
The holiday commemorates Mexico’s victory over France in the Battle of Puebla. The nations began fighting a year prior after Mexico’s president, Benito Juárez, suspended the country’s foreign debt payments. France then invaded, hoping to establish a monarchy in North America.
On May 5, 1862, French troops attacked the small city of Puebla. (For those of you who didn’t take high school Spanish, Cinco de Mayo means “Fifth of May.”) Mexico’s ill-equipped army was able to force the French to surrender in an unexpected victory that became a source of patriotic pride.
So, to reiterate, Cinco de Mayo is not (as many falsely believe) Mexico’s Independence Day, which is held on Sept. 16.
Where (and why) is Cinco de Mayo celebrated?
You might be surprised to learn that the anniversary isn’t widely observed south of the border, except in the city of Puebla, Insider reports. It’s not even a federal holiday in Mexico. But Americans have recognized it ever since its inception in 1863. In California, Mexicans and Americans used the occasion to raise money and bring in recruits to fight off the French, according to the New York Times.
Over time, Mexicans and Mexican-Americans across the U.S. embraced the holiday as a celebration of their heritage. But its message became diluted in the 1970s and ’80s, when beer companies pounced on Cinco de Mayo as a way to bring in more consumers, the Times reports. Now, it’s become America’s booziest holiday, surpassing even St. Patrick’s Day or the Super Bowl, according to Nielsen.
The White House usually gets in on the festivities, too. Last year, President Biden hosted Mexico’s first lady Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller for a luncheon of steak tacos, pork tamales, and margaritas on the rocks in the Rose Garden.
Recently, there’s been a push to reconnect the day back to its roots in Puebla. In Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago, events have been held to highlight the literature and food from the region.
“It seems that these efforts are a direct response to the consumerism surrounding Cinco de Mayo, and the commercialization of Latino culture in the United States,” Jessica Lavariega Monforti, vice provost of the California State University Channel Islands, told the Times.
