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Cinco de Mayo

("The Fifth of May" in Spanish) is a national holiday in Mexico which is also widely celebrated in the United States.

It is a common misconception that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 16th.

Cinco de Mayo celebrates the legendary Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, in which a Mexican force of 4,500 men faced 6,000 men of the well-trained forces of Napoleon III's French Army. The battle, which lasted all of four hours, ended in a moral and physical victory for the Mexican Army.

Cinco de Mayo is celebrated across Mexico in varying degrees, but none that matches the celebrations in Puebla.

In the U.S., much like St. Patrick's Day, Cinco de Mayo is observed by many regardless of ethnic origins, particularly along the border states where there is a large Hispanic population. Although it is no more an officially recognized holiday than St. Patrick's Day in the United States, Cinco de Mayo celebrations focus on music and dancing, food and of course, south of the border beer.