Cinco de mayo day of the dead

Cinco de Mayo is one of those holidays — like St. Patrick’s Day — that Americans love to celebrate, but don’t really understand what it’s all about. Some assume Cinco de Mayo is synonymous with The Day of the Dead.

But, is Cinco de Mayo the Day of the Dead? It’s not that simple.

Why do we celebrate Cinco de Mayo?

Cinco de Mayo — translated to Fifth of May — is a holiday held to celebrate the Mexican Army’s victory against France in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 (naturally).

The Mexican Army wasn’t supposed to win the Battle of Puebla. Mexican soldiers were outnumbered and out equipped — 4,000 Mexicans, compared with 8,000 French soldiers.

One historian says that it’s notable for Americans because if Mexico didn’t win, France likely would’ve gone on to help the Confederacy during the Civil War, possibly influencing its outcome — and life as we know it now. The reason: France eventually returned to Mexico and defeated the army and Emperor Maximilian I became the ruler. The takeover lasted from 1864 to 1867 because the U.S. was better able to assist the Mexicans with overthrowing French rule.

Today, the holiday is often celebrated with parties featuring Mexican-themed drinks and food.

So, is Cinco de Mayo the Day of the Dead?

The Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) is a multi-day festival held at the end of October and the first few days of November. Dia de los Muertos begins on October 31 for 2018 and ends on November 2.

So no, Cinco de Mayo is not the same as Day of the Dead.

What is the Day of the Dead?

The Day of the Dead tradition dates back 3,000 years to the time of the Aztecs, though it’s now celebrated in the United States, Canada and other countries around the world with a Mexican immigrant population.

Cinco de mayo day of the dead

The multi-day event brings families and friends together to remember loved ones who have died. The celebration often involves making the deceased’s favorite foods and leaving them on graves. Many also make private altars — known as ofrendas — to honor the dead, along with displaying calacas and calaveras (skeletons and skulls).

“The tradition [in Mexico] is you invite people to your house for pan de muerto and then you go to the cemetery,” Martha Rodríguez-Salazar told NBC News. “You eat food there, drink tequila or mezcal, and that’s the celebration. You want to leave your door open because a stranger can bring a spirit of your loved one. You never know.”

“It’s a very personal thing,” Juan Castaño, co-founder of Calpulli Mexican Dance Company, added to NBC News.

“Dia de Muertos is very powerful, because you feel peace and a beautiful experience remembering someone and celebrating what they did and who they were.”

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Cinco de Mayo is a cultural phenomenon in the United States. It’s a time to celebrate Mexican culture and, for some, an opportunity to indulge in margaritas and a few cervezas.

But it is also a frequently misunderstood holiday. Here is what Cinco de Mayo, coming up on Thursday, 5 May, is all about.

What is Cinco de Mayo?

People often mistake Cinco de Mayo for a celebration of Mexican independence, which is not actually correct.

Rather, the holiday celebrates a failed French invasion after a fledgling Mexican state defaulted on debt payments to European governments.

In 1861, Mexico was suffering from financial ruin following years of internal strife. This was exploited by the French President Napoleon III, who thought it would be a good time to try and build an empire there. Mexico had defaulted on debts with Britain and Spain as well, but those two countries negotiated with the country and withdrew their navy.

The French invaded Mexico in late 1861 with well-armed forces and stormed Veracruz, forcing the Mexican government and its forces to retreat into northern Mexico.

Confident of further victories, French forces focused their attention on the city Puebla de Los Angeles. Anticipating the attack, Mexican President Benito Juárez brought together a group of 2,000 men to fight back, many of who were indigenous Mexicans or of mixed ancestry.

When the French finally attacked, on 5 May 1862, the battle lasted from daybreak to early evening. The French ended up retreating after losing almost 500 soldiers, while the Mexicans lost fewer than 100.

Was the battle significant?

Strategically, not really. The battle represented more of a symbolic victory for the Mexican forces and added to the resistance. French forces didn’t leave until 1867, after years of fighting.

Mexicans were helped in part by the end of the Civil War, when the US was able to send its own troops to help out its besieged neighbour.

'Dia de los Muertos' - Day of the dead festival in Mexico

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Does all of Mexico celebrate Cinco de Mayo?

People in Puebla celebrate, as that’s where the unlikely victory occurred, but the festivities aren’t nationwide. Cinco de Mayo isn’t a federal holiday so the day is just like any other day for most people in Mexico.

When does Mexico celebrate its independence?

Mexico celebrates its independence on 16 September. On that day in 1810, Mexican revolutionary priest Miguel Hidalgo y Castilla made a famous call to arms for his fellow men and women to resist Spanish colonial government.

Why is it celebrated in the United States?

The holiday is widely seen as a celebration of Mexican cultural heritage for America’s growing Hispanic population.

Latino activists raised awareness for the holiday in the 1960s. In large part, those early holidays in the US were a forum to celebrate the fact that a group of indigenous people were able to successfully hold back French forces.

The holiday has taken off in the US since then and people today celebrate with parades, parties, mariachi music, and traditional Mexican foods.

What is Cinco de Mayo actually celebrating?

Cinco de Mayo, (Spanish: “Fifth of May”) also called Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, holiday celebrated in parts of Mexico and the United States in honour of a military victory in 1862 over the French forces of Napoleon III.

What are 3 facts about Cinco de Mayo?

9 Cool Facts About Cinco de Mayo.
Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day. ... .
It celebrates Mexico's victory against Imperial France. ... .
The Mexican Army beat the harshest odds. ... .
The Battle of Puebla symbolizes a victory against invaders. ... .
Cinco de Mayo is not a national holiday in Mexico..

What is Mexico's Day of the Dead called?

Día de los Muertos is celebrated across Mexico with skulls, skeletons, and graveside visits—but what does this beloved holiday really represent? Revelers in Mexico City celebrate the Day of the Dead by dressing up as the holiday's most ubiquitous symbol, a skeletal figure known as the calavera Catrina.

What does Cinco de Mayo really symbolize?

Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army's May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. The day, which falls on Thursday, May 5 in 2022, is also known as Battle of Puebla Day.