Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Photo courtesy of National Geographic website.

 Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a celebration held on May 5. It is celebrated in the United States and in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, [note 1] where the holiday is called El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (English: The Day of the Battle of Puebla).

For many Americans, Cinco de Mayo means enjoying Mexican food and probably a few margaritas as well.

But Cinco de Mayo, which means May 5 in Spanish, is probably one of the most misunderstood Mexican holidays.

This day is not Mexico's independence day. Mexican independence is celebrated on Sept.16.

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over the French forces of Napoleon III on May 5, 1862, at the Battle of Puebla.

Mexico had troubles paying back war debts to European countries, and France had come to Mexico to collect that debt.

Ironically, today Cinco de Mayo has become more of an American holiday than a Mexican one.

Sources: Wikipedia
               USA Today