Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s version of Independence Day, right? Around the world, there is a misconception brought by movies and TV shows about this famous holiday, as well as the many advertisements showing Corona beer and/or tequilas.
Cinco de Mayo is actually something totally different. It is a commemoration of the victory that took place at the Battle of Puebla, which occurred on this day in 1862. Celebrations occur in the state of Puebla, where the battle occurred, about 3 hours southeast of Mexico City. In other parts of the country, it is widely observed in bars, restaurants and resorts, and in some parts there might be parades or other events. But in the end, it is not an actual holiday.
What led to the battle?
On September 27, 1821, Mexico obtained independence from the Spanish Empire. Then, Mexican Emperor Augustin de Iturbide asked King Louis XVIII of France to recognize his newly independent state. About 2 months later, France agreed to establish unofficial relations with Mexico. It was not, however, until September 1830 that France recognized and established these diplomatic relations with Mexico.
During the early years, France and Mexico were not always “friends”, especially with the start of the Pastry War of 1838-1839, known as the first French intervention in Mexico. France invaded Mexico to collect compensation for the properties damaged by Mexico forces. Then in December 1861, Emperor Napoleon III invaded Mexico for justification that Mexico refused to pay foreign debts. In retrospect, Napoleon wanted to expand his empire in Latin America, and started the second French intervention in Mexico with the English, Spanish and French invading the country.
What happened at the Battle of Puebla?
By April 1862, the Spanish and English had departed, while the French remained. They were hoping to establish a monarchy under the Maximilian of Austria, who was Napoleon’s cousin, as well as constraining US power in North America. And then on May 5 of that year, a Zapotec force defeated the French troops in Puebla, under the command of General and Politician Ignacio Zaragoza. About 1,000 French troops were killed, and the fighting continued, ending in a victory for the Mexican Army, led by Zaragoza, over the foreign forces.
Although the French did not depart Mexico for at least 5 years after that, the defeat of the French was a very significant event for Mexico, and Puebla became a symbol of Mexico’s invincibility to foreign domination. That is what the holiday celebrates.
Cinco de Mayo celebrations
After becoming a significant moment in the history of Mexico, it took more than a decade until Cinco de Mayo started being celebrated, but ironically, it was not in Mexico. The first celebrations took place in the 1970s in various places across the United States. But why would Americans celebrate a victory that was not even targeted to them? In a nutshell, it was because of beer. More specifically, Corona.
As a result, the Corona beer brand saw a great opportunity to market itself towards the Cinco de Mayo celebrations. After a huge marketing campaign, the brand established a strong presence with the celebration, and eventually became popular worldwide as we know it today.
And another fun fact: even the food that is served during the Cinco de Mayo parties is more Tex Mex than Mexican. The festivities are dominated by nachos and ground beef tacos, while ironically, traditional dishes from Puebla like the Chiles en Nogada are not as common for the commemoration. But of course, there is almost an unlimited amount of Corona and tequila to enjoy! And the Mexicans always love a good party, so there is no doubt that they’ll enjoy celebrating Cinco de Mayo.
Moment of truth
Now that you know the story behind Cinco de Mayo, if you want to celebrate Mexico’s actual Independence Day with tacos and many other local dishes, that day is September 16!