Is Cinco de Mayo a Mexican celebrated in Mexico?

Question

What exactly happened on "Cinco de Mayo" and in what year?

Answer 1

Mostly in the State of Puebla and Mexico City. Fourty years after Mexico's independence, General Ignacio Zaragoza's army defeated French expeditionary forces near Puebla on 1862-05-05 in the Battle of Puebla. (It was after this battle that the name of the city was changed to "Heróica Puebla de Zaragoza".)

"In the United States, the "Batalla de Puebla" came to be known as simply "5 de Mayo" and unfortunately, many people wrongly equate it with Mexican Independence which was on September 16, 1810, nearly a fifty year difference. Over, the years Cinco de Mayo has become very commercialized and many people see this holiday as a time for fun and dance. Oddly enough, Cinco de Mayo has become more of Chicano holiday than a Mexican one. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on a much larger scale here in the United States than it is in Mexico. People of Mexican descent in the United States celebrate this significant day by having parades, mariachi music, folklorico dancing and other types of festive activities."

"Cinco de Mayo", CLNet, University of California : http://clnet.ucla.edu/cinco.html

"For the most part, the holiday of Cinco de Mayo is more of a regional holiday in Mexico, celebrated most vigorously in the state of Puebla. There is some limited recognition of the holiday throughout the country with different levels of enthusiasm, but it's nothing like that found in Puebla."

"Celebrating Cinco de Mayo has become increasingly popular along the U.S.-Mexico border and in parts of the U.S. that have a high population of people with a Mexican heritage. In these areas the holiday is a celebration of Mexican culture, of food, music, beverage and customs unique to Mexico."

"Commercial interests in the United States and Mexico have also had a hand in promoting the holiday, with products and services focused on Mexican food, beverages and festivities, with music playing a more visible role as well. Several cities throughout the U.S. hold parades and concerts during the week following up to May 5th, so that Cinco de Mayo has become a bigger holiday north of the border than it is to the south, and being adopted into the holiday calendar of more and more people every year."

"The History of Cinco de Mayo", Mexonline.com : http://www.mexonline.com/cinco-de-mayo.htm

"Nowadays, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated though out the country, but very especially in the state of Puebla and in Mexico City."

"In the Pen de los Bas, a small barrio or neighborhood in Mexico City, very near the airport, the people organize a very popular representation of the Cinco de Mayo battle. "

"Cinco de Mayo", May Herz, Inside Mexico :http://www.inside-mexico.com/featurecinco.htm

Answer 2

Cinco de Mayo (Translation "The Fifth of May" in Spanish) is primarily a regional, and not a federal, holiday in Mexico; the date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. It commemorates an initial victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín over French forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

Answer 3

It commemorates the battle of Puebla in 1862. It's a minor Mexican holiday. The Newport-Ensenada yacht race used to be timed to end on or about Cinco de Mayo which yielded epic parties involving more or less the entire town of Ensenada.

Answer 4

France wanted to build an empire in North America.
Mexico was an early nation that hadn't fully developed
France sought an opertunity
France chose some Austrian guy to be Emperor of Mexico while France kept its Military in Mexico
Mexico and France fought in the city of Puebla
Mexico won the battle but lost the war
Mexico later defeated the French in a Revolution against the Emperor
The holiday celebrates the Battle of Puebla where Mexico won

Answer 5

I do not know all the facts, I think it has something to do with a liberation movement, and on the fifth of May was the day freedom was gained. Cinco(Five) de (of) Mayo(May.)

Answer 6

It's also celebrated here, in the US, and other places around the world.