Unlikely the popular belief, 5 de Mayo is not Mexican’s Independence Day, but a celebration of its heritage and pride.  During Mexican’s Civil War, on May 5th, 1862, Mexicans resisted and won a significant battle against the French army- known to be the best at the time- in Puebla, before they got to Mexican City.

Puebla is pretty much the only place in Mexico that celebrates 5 de Mayo, but here in the US it has become almost a national holiday as well as a marketing gag. In 2005, the US President issued a proclamation calling upon  Americans to observe the date as a celebration of Mexican’s culture and experiences of Americans with Mexican’s ancestry as they do on St.Patricks’s Day and on Chinese New Year’s. 

5 de Mayo is a big party day, where people have an excuse to chow down buckets of chips and salsa with gallons of Margaritas while dancing to the Mariachi. Since I love all of that, and usually don’t need the excuse of 5 de Mayo, I fully embrace the date.