What is Cinco de Mayo? Significance and history of May 5 holiday explained 

In today's day and age, Cinco de Mayo is almost synonymous with letting off steam by indulging in margaritas, tequila, and other Mexican delicacies. The celebratory festive spirit grips the air, but very few people are aware of why the holiday is actually celebrated.

Cinco de Mayo, literally translating to 'Fifth of May,' is often misconstrued as the Mexican equivalent of the American Fourth of July or the Mexican Independence Day (Día de la Independencia). This notion, though popular, is misplaced since the Mexicans gained independence from Spain on September 16, 1810, 52 years before Cinco de Mayo's conception.

The real story about the origin of this holiday is entirely different.

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Significance and history of Cinco de Mayo explained

This Mexican holiday commemorates the Battle of Puebla in the small Mexican state of Puebla in 1862. In 1861, the country came under attack by foreign troops from Spain, England, and France after Mexican President Benito Juárez defaulted on his payments to European nations.

The debt repayment was delayed since Mexico's reserves were already depleted from being ravaged by three wars since the beginning of the 19th century. The British and Spanish troops withdrew by April 1862, but France's Napoleon III refused to budge. He had more ambitious plans to establish a monarchy under Archduke Maximilian of Austria and form an alliance with the US Confederacy.

David E. Hayes-Bautista, Director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the School of Medicine at UCLA, told Time:

“The French army was about four days from Mexico City when they had to go through the town of Puebla, and as it happened, they didn’t make it.”

A ragtag team of 2000 Mexicans comprising poorly-equipped mestizos and Zapotec forces rallied under General Ignacio Zaragoza, and miraculously triumphed over 6000 French troops in the Battle of Puebla on May 5,1862. Forcing the French troops to retreat was a massive victory for the Mexicans, symbolizing the country’s ability to defend its sovereignty against a powerful foreign nation.

Interestingly, Cinco de Mayo holds more significance among the American-Mexican and Latino communities than it does in the rest of Mexico outside of Puebla. It is celebrated with great pomp and vigor in states like California, which were previously part of Mexico.

Hayes-Bautista said:

“Cinco de Mayo is part of the Latino experience of the American Civil War. It’s not about the Mexican experience.”

Jose Alamillo, a professor of Chicano studies at California State University Channel Islands, concurred:

“By the time [Latinos in California] heard about the news of the battle, they began to raise money for the Mexican troops and they formed a really important network of patriotic organizations. They had to kind of make the case for fighting for freedom and democracy and they were able to link the struggle of Mexico to the struggle of the Civil War, so there were simultaneous fights for democracy.”

Cinco de Mayo celebrations are marked by parades, speeches, and reenactments of the 1862 battle in its originating state, Puebla. Since the turn of the 20th century, it has grown in popularity with the advent of the Good Neighbor Policy of 1933 encouraging Latin-Americans to embrace their Mexican culture and heritage.