Calendar for May 5th, 2012

Cinco de Mayo

The holiday of Cinco De Mayo, "The Fifth of May", celebrates the victory of the Mexicans over the French army at The Battle of Puebla in 1862. France’s Napoleon III wanted to establish a French empire in Mexico. On May 5, 1862, his well-trained army was defeated at the Battle of Puebla by a smaller force of Mexican militia. The events of May 5 (Cinco de Mayo) unified the Mexican people during a long struggle to maintain their independence. Today, Mexicans and Mexican-Americans celebrate the outcome of the battle with parades, festivals, and music.