Cinco De Mayo History: Find Out How Holiday Emerged! Plus Battle Of Puebla Explained

Cinco de Mayo is a holiday in the U.S. many people celebrate as an excuse to drink margaritas. And although we normally applaud any excuse to break out a quality margarita recipe, it is good to know what the holiday is about what what we are toasting to. With a quick Cinco de Mayo lesson, you should be well-aware why you are enjoying some festive fun. After all, there is no better party than a historically relevant one, right?

Cinco de Mayo, the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, is celebrated as a national holiday in Mexico. However, in contrast to the event's popularity in the U.S., the Fifth of May in Mexico is a much less extravagant affair. The holiday honors the military victory of the Mexican army in 1862 against the French forces of Napoleon II. Despite the French eventually overrunning the Mexican army in future battles, the Battle of Puebla was significant in boosting morale and slowing the French army’s march toward Mexico City. The defeat of the much better equipped and larger French army was an inspirational event for wartime Mexico.

The 1861 war in Mexico was caused by the country's suspended payments of interest on foreign debts for a period of two years, under President Benito Juarez. Once this news was raelayed, English, Spanish, and French troops invaded the country via the Tripartite Alliance, launching an allied attack on Mexico. The Tripartite Alliance’s main purpose was to invade Mexico and take control of Veracruz, which served as the country’s major port.

Following the seize of Veracruz, England, Spain and France would then force the Mexican government to negotiate terms for the repayment of its debts and for reparations for alleged harm to foreign citizens in Mexico. By April 1862, the English and Spanish had withdrawn, but the French, with the support of wealthy landowners, remained in Mexico and attempted to establish a monarchy under Maximillian of Austria. Following this decision, the fated Battle of Puebla occurred on May, 5 1862, where the French army lost about 1,000 troops.

The city where the battle was held, which is southeast of Mexico City, was later renamed Puebla de Zaragoza, after the Mexican army’s winning commander, General Ignacio Zaragoza. On May 9, 1862, President Juarez declared the Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla a national holiday called "Battle of Puebla Day" or "Battle of Cinco de Mayo."

Despite Cinco de Mayo’s tradition in the U.S. as a celebration of Mexican heritage, it is not a federal holiday in its native country and stands for something much more historical.