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ShowsThis Day In HistoryScheduleTopicsStories * History Classics * Live TV * Your Profile Your Profile History * Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window) * Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window) * Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window) * Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window) * Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window) Email Updates * Live TV * History Classics * Shows * This Day In History * Schedule * Topics * Stories * Videos * History Podcasts * History Vault * Shop * History Travel 1. Home 2. Topics 3. Holidays 4. Cinco de Mayo CINCO DE MAYO By: History.com Editors Updated: April 20, 2023 | Original: October 23, 2009 copy page linkPrint Page David Handschuh/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Cinco de Mayo History 2. The Battle of Puebla 3. How Long Did the Battle of Puebla Last? 4. Cinco de Mayo in Mexico 5. Why Do We Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the United States? 6. Confusion With Mexican Independence Day Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. The day, which falls on Friday, May 5 in 2023, is also known as Battle of Puebla Day. While it is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations. CINCO DE MAYO HISTORY Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day, a popular misconception. Instead, it commemorates a single battle. In 1861, Benito Juárez—a lawyer and member of the Indigenous Zapotec tribe—was elected president of Mexico. At the time, the country was in financial ruin after years of internal strife, and the new president was forced to default on debt payments to European governments. In response, France, Britain and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz, Mexico, demanding repayment. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and withdrew their forces. France, however, ruled by Napoleon III, decided to use the opportunity to carve an empire out of Mexican territory. Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large force of troops and driving President Juárez and his government into retreat. Play Video Learn more Related contentRelated contentShare VideoShare Video Playing on Subtitles Language Settings * QualityAutomatic Automatic HD * SpeedNormal * SubtitleOptions Quality * Automatic Speed * 0.25 * 0.5 * Normal * 1.25 * 1.5 * 2 Subtitle Options * Font familyDefault * Font colorDefault * Font opacityDefault * Font sizeDefault * Background colorDefault * Background opacityDefault * Window colorDefault * Window opacityDefault * Character edge styleDefault Font family * Default * Monospaced Serif * Proportional Serif * Monospaced Sans-Serif * Proportional Sans-Serif Font color * Default * White * Yellow * Green * Cyan * Blue * Magenta * Red * Black Font opacity * Default * 25% * 50% * 75% * 100% Font size * Default * 50% * 75% * 100% * 150% * 200% Background color * Default * White * Yellow * Green * Cyan * Blue * Magenta * Red * Black Background opacity * Default * 0% * 25% * 50% * 75% * 100% Window color * Default * White * Yellow * Green * Cyan * Blue * Magenta * Red * Black Window opacity * Default * 0% * 25% * 50% * 75% * 100% Character edge style * Default * None * Drop Shadow * Raised * Depressed * Uniform Loaded: 0% 0:00 Progress: 0% 0:00 Progress: 0% PlayPlayMuteMute Current Time 0:00 / Duration Time 0:00 Live Remaining Time -0:00 Watch in VRWatch in VR * , selecteddescriptions off Descriptions SubtitlesSubtitlesUnavailable UnavailableUnavailable UnavailableLanguageLanguageSettingsHDSettingsFullscreenFullscreen This is a modal window. Caption Settings Dialog Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaque Font Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400% Text Edge StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadow Font FamilyProportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall Caps DefaultsDone * Powered by THEOplayer 2023.1.3 Cinco de Mayo Close Related Content Close Share THE BATTLE OF PUEBLA Certain that success would come swiftly, 6,000 French troops under General Charles Latrille de Lorencez set out to attack Puebla de Los Angeles, a small town in east-central Mexico. From his new headquarters in the north, Juárez rounded up a ragtag force of 2,000 loyal men—many of them either Indigenous Mexicans or of mixed ancestry—and sent them to Puebla. The vastly outnumbered and poorly supplied Mexicans, led by Texas-born General Ignacio Zaragoza, fortified the town and prepared for the French assault. On May 5, 1862, Lorencez gathered his army—supported by heavy artillery—before the city of Puebla and led an assault. THE MEXICAN REVOLUTION The first great revolution of the 20th century began as a revolt against a dictator and ended in civil war, consuming hundreds of thousands of lives as Mexico struggled to live up to its ideals of land and liberty. WATCH NOW HOW LONG DID THE BATTLE OF PUEBLA LAST? The battle lasted from daybreak to early evening, and when the French finally retreated they had lost nearly 500 soldiers. Fewer than 100 Mexicans had been killed in the clash. Although not a major strategic win in the overall war against the French, Zaragoza’s success at the Battle of Puebla on May 5 represented a great symbolic victory for the Mexican government and bolstered the resistance movement. In 1867—thanks in part to military support and political pressure from the United States, which was finally in a position to aid its besieged neighbor after the end of the Civil War—France finally withdrew. The same year, Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, who had been installed as emperor of Mexico in 1864 by Napoleon, was captured and executed by Juárez’s forces. Puebla de Los Angeles was renamed for General Zaragoza, who died of typhoid fever months after his historic triumph there. HOW CINCO DE MAYO HELPED PREVENT A CONFEDERATE VICTORY IN THE CIVIL WAR There can be confusion over the origins of Cinco de Mayo. Some think it’s a holiday celebrating Mexican independence from Spain (that’s actually September 16), or the 1910 Mexican Revolution (November 20), or that it was dreamed up to sell more beer and guacamole. Cinco de Mayo actually marks the unlikely defeat of elite French […] Read more 7 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT CINCO DE MAYO Get the facts on the Mexican holiday, which marks the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla. Read more 3:01 minTV-PG CINCO DE MAYO FOODS: MOLE POBLANO Join host Famous Fat Dave as he tries to unlock the mystery of Cinco de Mayo’s most unusual food Mole Poblano. Watch now CINCO DE MAYO IN MEXICO Within Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is primarily observed in the state of Puebla, where Zaragoza’s unlikely victory occurred, although other parts of the country also take part in the celebration. Traditions include military parades, recreations of the Battle of Puebla and other festive events. For many Mexicans, however, May 5 is a day like any other: It is not a federal holiday, so offices, banks and stores remain open. WHY DO WE CELEBRATE CINCO DE MAYO IN THE UNITED STATES? In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is widely interpreted as a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with substantial Mexican-American populations. Chicano activists raised awareness of the holiday in the 1960s, in part because they identified with the victory of Indigenous Mexicans (such as Juárez) over European invaders during the Battle of Puebla. Today, revelers mark the occasion with parades, parties, mariachi music, Mexican folk dancing and traditional foods such as tacos and mole poblano. Some of the largest festivals are held in Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston. CONFUSION WITH MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY Many people outside Mexico mistakenly believe that Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexican independence, which was declared more than 50 years before the Battle of Puebla. Independence Day in Mexico (Día de la Independencia) is commemorated on September 16, the anniversary of the revolutionary priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla’s famous “Grito de Dolores” (“Cry of Dolores,” referring to the city of Dolores Hidalgo, Mexico), a call to arms that amounted to a declaration of war against the Spanish colonial government in 1810. By: History.com Editors HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan and Matt Mullen. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CITATION INFORMATION Article TitleCinco de Mayo AuthorHistory.com Editors Website NameHISTORY URLhttps://www.history.com/topics/holidays/cinco-de-mayo Date AccessedMay 4, 2023 PublisherA&E Television Networks Last UpdatedApril 20, 2023 Original Published DateOctober 23, 2009 FACT CHECK We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Print Page * Mexico MORE ON THIS TOPIC | HOLIDAYS 8 HANUKKAH TRADITIONS AND THEIR ORIGINS Each year, Jews around the world celebrate an eight-day winter holiday known as Hanukkah (also spelled “Chanukah” and several other ways) on the 25th day of the month of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar, typically falling in November or December on the Gregorian calendar. Hanukkah has ancient roots, commemorating the second century B.C.E. reclaiming and […] Read more WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VETERANS DAY AND MEMORIAL DAY? The federal holidays of Veterans Day and Memorial Day are both designed to celebrate members of the U.S. military, but there are a few key differences. Memorial Day, which took shape after the Civil War, is considered a day to honor those who were killed in or as a result of participating in battle. Veterans Day, which […] Read more HOW CINCO DE MAYO HELPED PREVENT A CONFEDERATE VICTORY IN THE CIVIL WAR There can be confusion over the origins of Cinco de Mayo. Some think it’s a holiday celebrating Mexican independence from Spain (that’s actually September 16), or the 1910 Mexican Revolution (November 20), or that it was dreamed up to sell more beer and guacamole. Cinco de Mayo actually marks the unlikely defeat of elite French […] Read more 7 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT CINCO DE MAYO Get the facts on the Mexican holiday, which marks the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla. 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