Here is what you need to remember about Cinco de mayo!
- It celebrates a battle that the Mexicans won over the French on May 5, 1862, in the state of Puebla, Mexico.
- At that time the French army was considered the strongest in the world, and yet the Mexican troops beat them. That was cause for a big celebration.
- It was an important battle for the United States too. If the French had won, they could have made Mexico the first French colony in North America. The French might have supplied guns to the Confederate side (the southern states) in the American Civil War. They would have exchanged the guns for cotton, something that the French badly needed and the South had plenty of.
- If that had happened, the Civil War could have turned out very differently.
- Today, the holiday is celebrated mainly in the state of Puebla in Mexico.
- It is also a popular holiday in the United States and is a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage.
- Cinco de mayo is NOT Mexican Independence Day.
What do you do with your children to celebrate Cinco de Mayo?
For great family fun, how about making one of our recipes or crafts with your kids?
