Cinco de Mayo 2027 Countdown

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army's victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. While it is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, it has become a major celebration of Mexican-American culture in the United States. The holiday gained popularity in the US during the 1960s and 1980s through Chicano activism and beer marketing campaigns. Celebrations include parades, mariachi music, traditional Mexican food, and cultural festivals.

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Cinco de Mayo — Spanish for Fifth of May — commemorates the Mexican Army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza, 4,000 poorly equipped Mexican soldiers defeated a well-armed French army of 8,000 that hadn't lost a battle in 50 years. The victory was a huge morale boost for Mexico, which was struggling with financial crisis and foreign invasion. However, the French would eventually capture Mexico City and install Maximilian I as emperor, ruling until 1867.

Here's the surprising truth: Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexico's Independence Day — that's September 16, which is a much bigger celebration in Mexico. Cinco de Mayo was historically a minor holiday in Mexico, celebrated mainly in the state of Puebla where the battle took place. For most of Mexico's history, May 5 was just another day. The holiday as we know it today was actually invented in the United States by Mexican Americans, not in Mexico itself.

The first Cinco de Mayo celebrations in the U.S. began in the 1860s in California, where Mexican Americans celebrated the Mexican victory over the French — which also happened during the American Civil War. The French had supported the Confederacy, so a Mexican victory over France was also a victory for the Union cause. These early celebrations included parades, speeches, and festivals that celebrated Mexican heritage and American patriotism simultaneously.

Cinco de Mayo exploded in popularity in the U.S. in the 1980s when beer companies realized it was the perfect holiday to sell beer. Companies like Corona and Modelo launched massive marketing campaigns promoting Cinco de Mayo as a celebration of Mexican culture — and beer consumption. Today, Americans drink more beer on Cinco de Mayo than on St. Patrick's Day or the Super Bowl. In Mexico, the holiday is still mainly celebrated in Puebla with military parades and battle reenactments — and very little beer marketing.