What date does Cinco de Mayo commemorate in Mexico?
Answer
May 5
Cinco de Mayo commemorates May 5, the date of Mexico’s victory at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.
The battle took place during the French intervention in Mexico. French forces had advanced toward Mexico City after Mexico suspended payments on foreign debts. At Puebla, the smaller Mexican army defeated the invading French troops, making the date a powerful symbol of national resistance.
Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico’s Independence Day. Mexican Independence Day is September 16, marking Miguel Hidalgo’s 1810 call to begin the struggle against Spanish rule. In Mexico, May 5 is observed most prominently in Puebla, while celebrations in the United States have grown into a broader celebration of Mexican heritage and culture.