Cinco de Mayo Countdown

Cinco de Mayo's story so far

Cinco de Mayo records

The Battle of Puebla

On May 5, 1862, General Ignacio Zaragoza's outnumbered Mexican forces defeated an invading French army at Puebla. The victory became a lasting symbol of Mexican resistance and pride.

A bigger party north of the border

In Mexico the day is mainly observed in the state of Puebla; in the United States it grew into a broad celebration of Mexican-American culture, food and music.

How California started the party

The first big Cinco de Mayo celebrations happened not in Mexico but in the American West: Mexican communities in California, Nevada, Oregon and Texas began marking the victory in the 1860s, within a year of the battle itself. A century later, Chicano activists of the 1960s revived the date as a symbol of pride, identifying with Mexico's stand against a European invader, and 1980s advertising campaigns by beer and tequila brands turned it into the coast-to-coast fiesta Americans know today.

Celebrate it the Puebla way

In Puebla the day means a grand civic parade, and Mexico City's Peñón de los Baños neighborhood stages a full costumed reenactment of the battle every May 5. At home, cook the region's true signature dish: mole poblano, the rich chile-and-chocolate sauce born in Puebla's convents, served over chicken or turkey. Add agua fresca or a classic margarita, put on some mariachi, and raise a toast to General Zaragoza — that beats a novelty sombrero every time.

Quick facts

• Commemorates the 1862 Battle of Puebla
• Not Mexico's Independence Day, that's September 16
• Celebrated more widely in the US than in most of Mexico
• General Ignacio Zaragoza led the victory
• France lost nearly 500 soldiers at Puebla; fewer than 100 Mexicans were killed
• Zaragoza died of typhoid four months after the battle; Puebla was renamed Puebla de Zaragoza in his honor

Fiesta prep

Margaritas, tacos and papel picado — the holy trinity.

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