what is cinco de mayo

Cinco de Mayo ("Fifth of May") is an annual celebration held on May 5 to commemorate Mexico's victory over the French forces of Napoleon III at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. At that time, Mexico was financially struggling, and France sought to install Archduke Maximilian of Austria as a puppet ruler in Mexico. The French army was much better equipped and trained, but a smaller, mostly volunteer Mexican militia led by General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated the French troops in this battle near the town of Puebla. Although the French eventually won the war and occupied Mexico City, the Battle of Puebla became a powerful symbol of Mexican resistance to foreign domination. Cinco de Mayo is often mistaken as Mexico's Independence Day, but Mexican Independence Day is actually celebrated on September 16 and commemorates the start of Mexico's struggle for independence from Spain in 1810. The celebration of Cinco de Mayo is more prominent in the United States than in Mexico. In the U.S., especially in California, it marks Mexican-American culture and heritage with parades, music, and festivities. In Mexico, the day is primarily observed with military parades and reenactments of the battle, especially in the city of Puebla. So, Cinco de Mayo honors a historic Mexican military victory and symbolizes Mexican pride and resistance.