The month of May has started, which means schools are finishing up their years and summer is just beginning, along with some memorable days like “May The Fourth” and Mother’s Day. Yet today I want to highlight one that we should probably take a look at again: Cinco de Mayo.

Recently, with the date coming up, I found myself asking, “Why does the US celebrate Cinco de Mayo?,” to which I found out a lot of people don’t really know. Now, there is another layer to the question. Before coming to Miami, I lived in Mexico for eight years, and not once did anyone celebrate or really talk about Cinco de Mayo. I saw it once in a history book, but that was it. Only until this conversation was brought up did I learn it’s actually more of a US holiday and should  probably stop being one. Let me break it down for you:

Why is Cinco de Mayo celebrated?

Many people often confuse the idea that Cinco de Mayo is the equivalent of the US’s Fourth of July–it is not Mexico’s Independence Day. The day actually commemorates Mexico’s win against the French troops in what is known as The Battle of Puebla. Mexico’s Independence Day happened 50 years before this victory and is dated as September 16. 

So already, we have established it’s not that big of an event, but it gets worse.

If it was a Mexican victory, why is it not celebrated in Mexico?

Yes, the Mexicans did win the battle, but not the war. The Battle of Puebla was instigated by France, which was picking a fight with Mexico for unpaid debts since the government had been struggling for a while. As a result, France decided to invade the country and establish a monarchy. 

On their way to Mexico City, the French troops were stopped by Mexican forces in the town of Puebla. And on May 5, 1862, the Mexican army, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza, defeated the French forces, led by Napoleon III. Even though Mexico declared victory on May 5th , the French went on to win the proceeding Franco-Mexican War and occupied the area for the next five years until Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian was overthrown as emperor.

So even though the state of Puebla does celebrate it and the country does see it as an important event in their history, it’s not exactly a taco-eating and tequila-drinking type of day as it is in the US.

What does the day have to do with the US?

The Battle of Puebla just proved to be an opportunity for Napoleon III to conquer a key Mexican entry point to the US.

Other than conquering Mexico City, Napoleon III wanted French troops to help the Confederate army during the Civil War in an effort to keep the U.S. divided and vulnerable. 

Why we should probably rethink the (technically American) holiday

The day started off as a day to celebrate Mexican culture around the 1960s but as the 70s and 80s rolled around, it became more of a day to capitalize on the holiday with Latino customers. This has led to an increase in alcohol sales to the point it is on one of the top five drinking days of the year. Not only that, but it has also led to the selling of some pretty offensive costumes and caricatures of Mexican culture which can simply come off as culturally insensitive. 

So, if you’re going to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, get some authentic Mexican food, leave the sombrero at home, and don’t talk about why it’s celebrated with your Mexican friends—they won’t want to talk about it, trust me.