Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Happy Cinco de Mayo


Today is Cinco de Mayo, which is Spanish for "fifth of May". Although I've heard of Cinco de Mayo, I wasn't really familiar with what it was all about. Here's a little information that I learned about Cinco de Mayo....

From Wikipedia
  • Cinco de Mayo is a holiday celebrated in the United States and primarily limited to the state of Puebla in Mexico
  • The holiday commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
  • Cinco de Mayo is not "an obligatory federal holiday" in Mexico, but rather a holiday that can be observed voluntarily.
  • While Cinco de Mayo has limited significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed in the United States (also voluntarily) and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.
  • Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day, which actually is September 16, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico.
  • For the most part the celebrations combine food, music, and dancing.
  • The date is perhaps best recognized in the United States as a date to celebrate the culture and experiences of Americans of Mexican ancestry, much as St. Patrick's Day, Oktoberfest, and the Chinese New Year are used to celebrate those of Irish, German, and Chinese ancestry respectively. Similar to those holidays, Cinco de Mayo is observed by many Americans regardless of ethnic origin.
Happy Cinco de Mayo!

2 comments:

Liz Mays said...

Happy Cinco de Mayo to you as well! I miss the kids going to school and trying out fun foods on this day!

septembermom said...

Happy Cinco do Mayo to you Kari!!! Feel like having a fiesta today :)