There seems to be quite a bit of confusion about Cinco de Mayo by those celebrating here in the States so I’ve decided to use today’s post to clear a few things up. Trust me, you’ll appreciate the info. and will have some tidbits to impress your friends with while celebrating this weekend:

First off, Cinco de Mayo is not:

• Mexico’s Independence Day; that is actually celebrated on September 16 (”Dieciseis de septiembre” in Spanish)

Cinco de Mayo is:

• a national holiday in Mexico which is also widely celebrated in the U.S. that commemorates the victory of Mexican forces over the French in the Battle of Puebla on May 5th 1862.
• celebrated all over Mexico but most heartily in the city of Puebla, where the battle took place. In the US, the popular date is not officially recognized as a holiday but still enthusiastically celebrated by many (similar to St. Patrick’s Day).
• a great opportunity for you to check out all the Spanish language podcasts available for you to search on PodZinger!