Cinco de Mayobegan in 
The fifth of May 1862 was a battle, not a national birthday. This is a sourced guide to what happened at Puebla, how it is celebrated, and how to cook for and host a fiesta of your own.
Days until the next fifth of May
It falls on 5 May every year.
A battle, not independence
| Cinco de Mayo | Independence Day | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | 5 May | 16 September |
| What happened | The Mexican army beat a French army at Puebla, 1862 | Miguel Hidalgo’s Grito de Dolores called for revolt against Spain, 1810 |
| Against | France | Spain |
| What followed | The war went on; France took Puebla in 1863 and left in 1867 | A long war; independence achieved in 1821 |
| A holiday in Mexico? | Marked mainly in Puebla; not a national day off | A national holiday |
Sources: Britannica, NPR, HISTORY. More on what Cinco de Mayo is and is not.
The battle in four lines
France came for more than a debt.
In 1861 Mexico suspended its foreign debt payments. Britain and Spain settled and left. Napoleon III’s France stayed, and marched for Mexico City.
Zaragoza held the hills.
Two forts on the ridge above Puebla, a few thousand Mexican troops, and a French army that expected an easy day.
Every assault failed.
On 5 May 1862 the French attacked Cerro de Guadalupe again and again. By evening they were falling back.
The war went on for five more years.
France returned in 1863, took Puebla and Mexico City, and withdrew only in 1867. Follow it on the 1862 plan.
The battle plan, drawn that month
A printed plan from 1862 marks the forts, the French camp and the Veracruz road. We have turned it into a step-by-step explorer.
Music
and food
Mariachi, jarabe, voladores. Mole, tinga, esquites. Music and dance, food and eight recipes.
Test what you know
Twelve questions, each with an explanation and its source. People get at least one wrong.
Puebla and the US
Parades and re-enactments in Puebla; Chicano activism, festivals and marketing in the United States. See the difference.
Host your own
Tell the planner how many guests and hours, and get quantities, a run of show and a checklist. Open the planner.
Quick answers
Is Cinco de Mayo Mexican Independence Day?
No. Mexico’s independence is celebrated on 16 September, the anniversary of the Grito de Dolores in 1810. Cinco de Mayo (the fifth of May) marks a military victory over French troops at Puebla in 1862.
Who won the Battle of Puebla, and did it end the war?
Mexico won the battle. It did not end the war: France returned with a larger army, took Puebla in 1863 and Mexico City soon after, and withdrew only in 1867.
Is it a big holiday in Mexico?
Not nationally. It is a civic commemoration, celebrated most in the state of Puebla with parades and a re-enactment, and most Mexicans work and go to school as usual.
Why is it so big in the United States?
Latino communities in California marked the victory in 1862, Chicano activists revived it in the 1960s, and in the 1980s and 1990s brewers and food companies promoted it widely. It became a celebration of Mexican-American culture.
How do you say it?
“Cinco de Mayo” is Spanish for “fifth of May”. Say it SEEN-koh deh MY-oh.
What should I cook?
Start with the recipes in this guide: guacamole, a charred salsa, tinga poblana, red rice, esquites and two aguas frescas. Puebla’s own dish is mole poblano, which deserves a weekend of its own.
Make the fifth of May count
Know what you are celebrating, cook something real, and invite people.
Plan a fiesta