What is Cinco de Mayo? 7 Little Known Facts about the Holiday not Widely Celebrated in Mexico

Cinco de Mayo rolls around every 5th of May, and is celebrated throughout the United States, but why do we celebrate Cinco de Mayo? Where does it come from? Why is Cinco de Mayo not an official holiday in Mexico?

Battle of Puebla Courtesy Wikipedia

You might be surprised at the little known facts about Cinco de Mayo:

1. Cinco de Mayo is not Independence Day for Mexico.
2. Cinco de Mayo is often celebrated on a broader scale outside of Mexico and receives little attention within Mexico.
3. The history: Mexico stopped paying interest on its debts in 1861 so the French attacked Mexico to receive its payments.
4. French forces invaded Mexico and tried to occupy the country, but on May 5th 1862, Mexico repelled the invaders at the city of Puebla.
5. The holiday was celebrated in California beginning in the 1860s.
6. Some festivities occur in Puebla, Mexico to commemorate the victory, but the larger celebrations are in the U.S.
7. Cinco de Mayo festivities took place at the White House in 2001.

Cinco de Mayo. (2010, May 5). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:23, May 5, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cinco_de_Mayo&oldid=360290190