I was asking around this last week what "Cinco De Mayo" was, and got answers that varied from "Mexican Independence Day" to "Spanish Marti Gras". So, in the end, I decided to give up and check out Wikipedia instead.
Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "5th of May") is primarily a regional and not an obligatory federal holiday in Mexico. The holiday commemorates an initial victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín over French forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.So there you have it. Now at least if you go out partying tonight, you'll know why.
A common misconception in the United States is that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence Day; Mexico's Independence Day is actually September 16 (dieciséis de septiembre in Spanish), which is the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico.
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