For Mexicans, Cinco de Mayo is a unique celebration of national pride and love for one's heritage. The holiday commemorates Mexico's victory over France in 1862 in a battle which defeated the outnumbered Mexican army, also called the Battle of Puebla.
Over the years, Cinco de Mayo celebrations have evolved to more than just a victory over foreign invasion. Though considered to be a minor holiday in Mexico, Cinco de Mayo has become a day for Mexican-Americans to celebrate their culture and heritage. The holiday, which was announced as a legal holiday in 2005 by the US Congress, is celebrated with street parades, mariachi music performances, and festivals across Mexico and American cities with a large Hispanic population.
But just how did Cinco de Mayo become a well-celebrated holiday in the US, where at least thousands of Mexicans have been living throughout the country?
According to an article in Time magazine, Cinco de Mayo mainly started in a lemon farm in Corona in California. Known to be the "Lemon Capital of World" in the 1930s, majority of the workers in lemon farms and plants were Mexicans, and Cinco de Mayo coincides perfectly during the harvest time.
May 5 became a day of rest of and celebration for a good harvest, wherein students were sent home early and workers receive their paycheck. Festivities abound during the celebration of Cinco de Mayo, and according to a 1939 report of the Los Angeles Times, "several thousand persons came to participate in the celebration."
Presently, schools within Mexican-American communities have also been very vocal about the celebration of Cinco de Mayo. Students of all races are encouraged to read books telling the history of the celebration and national pride. Here are some books, beautifully written and illustrated, that you can read with your kids in order to help them understand what Cinco de Mayo is all about.
Apart from the kids, adults may also find these books equally enjoyable and culturally enriching. Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone!