US, Mexico celebrates Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo, or the Fifth of May, is possibly the best-known Mexican holiday in the United States. It's a day for fiestas, dancing and Mexican beer.

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a celebration held on May 5. It is celebrated in the United States and regionally in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is called El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (English: The Day of the Battle of Puebla).

It originated with Mexican-American communities in the American West as a way to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War, and today the date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.

In the state of Puebla, the date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at theBattle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day.
Cinco de Mayo means one thing in many cities across the United States and Mexico: fiesta time.

For two days each May, the people of US and Mexico tip their hats to the spirit of freedom and the beauty of Latino culture with their annual Cinco de Mayo festival.