by Kelly A. Mello

Created on: May 02, 2007   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

Cinco de Mayo, translated to 'fifth of May' from Spanish, is a holiday celebrated in many places, namely Mexico. There are several interesting facts surrounding this special day, some of which I will name here that I learned in my High School Spanish class. Without further ado, here they are!

1. Many people confuse Cinco de Mayo with the Mexican Independence Day. The latter is actually celebrated on September 16th. The two are befuddled because on both days the Mexican culture overcame many obstacles to secure their freedom. On September 16, 1810, they began the Independence War, which lasted 10 years. On May 5, 1862, Mexicans fought the French at the battle of Puebla. This was an astonishing feat since the French outnumbered them by at least 2000 troops.

2. The largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in the world is surprisingly not held in Mexico. Instead it is held in Los Angeles, California, where more than 600,000 come together to celebrate by eating a lot of Mexican food, listen and dance to Mexican music and other such activities. The event is called Festival de Fiesta Broadway.

3. Cinco de Mayo is just one of more than 365 festivals celebrated by people of Mexican descent. That is like celebrating every day of the year!

4. Cinco de Mayo became a popular holiday to celebrate in the United States because of the Chicano community in the 1960s and 1970s.

5. The celebration itself is not linked to the war in which Mexico established their separation. Instead it is meant to show their pride in Mexican heritage.

Well, there you have it. Those are several facts about Cinco de Mayo and the celebrations surrounding the holiday. Now grab some maracas and find a way for you to commemorate this special day!

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