Cinco de Mayo (or May 5th) is celebrated, as the name suggests, every year on May 5th. There are many misconceptions about the day and what it stands for, largely because the celebration has quite a different meaning in Mexico than it does in the United States.
Cinco de Mayo is not widely celebrated in Mexico and is not a federal holiday in the country. In fact, the day is much more celebrated in the United States.
The Cinco de Mayo celebrations and traditions of the United States are very different from those of Mexico in many ways. Firstly, the reason for the celebration differs between the two countries and the way the celebrations are held.
Cinco de Mayo is more of a celebration in the United States than in Mexico. (Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
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Read on for information on Cinco de Mayo in the US vs. Mexico.
- What does Cinco de Mayo represent in Mexico?
- What does Cinco de Mayo represent in the United States?
- How is Cinco de Mayo celebrated in Mexico?
- How is Cinco de Mayo celebrated in the United States?
1. What does Cinco de Mayo represent in Mexico?
Cinco de Mayo is often confused with Mexican Independence Day, but the two are very different.
In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo celebrates the country’s victory over France during the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
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Tacos are a popular Mexican cuisine eaten during Cinco de Mayo. (Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Mexican Independence Day, which takes place every year on September 16, celebrates Mexico’s independence from Spain in 1810, according to NationalToday.com.
2. What does Cinco de Mayo represent in the United States?
In the United States, Cinco de Mayo has become a day that celebrates Mexican culture. The holiday gained popularity in the United States in the 1960s, according to History.com.
3. How is Cinco de Mayo celebrated in Mexico?
The rather ironic truth about Cinco de Mayo is that it’s not actually celebrated in Mexico, and it’s a much bigger celebration in the U.S.
The day is not a federal holiday in Mexico, so all businesses are open and operating as usual. For Mexico as a whole, it’s a rather minor holiday, and throughout the country, the natives of Puebla are typically the people who party the most.
A lot of tequila is consumed on Cinco de Mayo, whether in a shot or a margarita. (Dai Sugano/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)
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In Puebla there are often recreations of the Battle of Puebla and military parades to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
4. How is Cinco de Mayo celebrated in the United States?
In the United States, Cinco de Mayo parties go late into the night. The day is celebrated with traditional Mexican foods and drinks such as tacos and margaritas. People all over the country dance to mariachi music, throw huge parties and packed parades.
Cinco de Mayo celebrations are held in states across the country, but especially in those with large Mexican-American populations.
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In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is often celebrated with Mexican music and dance. (Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Los Angeles hosts some of the biggest Cinco de Mayo events in the country, including Fiesta Broadway. Cinco de Mayo is also commonly celebrated in Texas, especially in the south central part of the state with the Fiesta San Antonio. Chicago is also a working class city full of Mexican culture.
