Cinco de Mayo March 5th What is Cinco de Mayo? Cinco de Mayo means the "fifth of May" in Spanish. Many Americans believe that Cinco de Mayo commemorates Mexico's independence from Spain. In fact, it began as a local holiday that celebrated Mexico's defeat of the French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. The History of Cinco de Mayo Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army's 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the … [Read more...]