what is cinco de mayo?
95034
May 5.  Specifically, the holiday that celebrates the victory of the Mexican Army over the French at the Battle of Puebla.
548307
Do you mean cinco de mayo?  It's when the Mexican army defeated the French at la Batalla de Puebla in 1862.
659722
"Cinco de mayo commemorates General Ignacio Zaragoza's victory on May 5, 1862, over the French expeditionary forces in the Battle of Puebla."  \n\nIn California among the Mexican communities I hava heard It considered a Mexican Independence day. However I think there real Independence day is Sept. 16.\n\n " September 16, 1810, in the village of Dolores, near Guanajuato. Hidalgo called for the end of Spanish rule in Mexico. On September 16, 1825, the Republic of Mexico officially declared Diez y séis de septiembre its national Independence Day. "
789530
Being as we live in a "white" dominant country (yeah right, especially in the Southwest) we celebrate great "White"  Americans every month.  I also don't think a Black History Month, or Hispanic Heritage Month is Politically correct either.  If this country is to be fair and equal, then put a stop to it.  Let's celebrate those specific days, like Cinco de Mayo, MLK Day, Chinese New Year, etc. equally!\n\nLove to you all!
736485
Look it up on Mayo clinc.  Best site.
200657
Happy Mother's Day\n\nalthough I've usually heard "Feliz Día de Las Madres".
492753
If you're in Los Angeles, you might want to drive down to Santa Ana.  I understand there are a lot of events for 5 de Mayo.  It was broadcast live by the news crew of KTLA channel.  Olvera Street in Downtown L.A. I know also has its events with lots of music, food, people, and more.  Have fun!
520601
Lighten up girl, a party is a party....pass the salsa and give me a corona!  Viva Mexico!!
1025554
The Sun with a face is known as Sol de Mayo, or the Sun of May. It represents the Incan Sun God, Inti and bears reference to the May Revolution during which both modern-day Uraguy (whose flag also bears a Sol de Mayo) and Argentina, along with Bolivia and Paraguay, attempted to reclaim their independence from the rule of Spain.
1082239
I have been to Spain and having a mexican boyfriend lends itself to knowing some Spanish traditions and such.  Lets see, in Spain they used to use the peso but recently converted to Euros as their money.  The weather in the summer in Spain is hot, but it is a dry heat with little humidity.  Some traditional dances are the tango and flamenco.  There is a variety of foods so I am not sure where to start with that.  It really depends on which country in particular.  If I stick with Spain, let's see, they celebrate the running of the bulls in Pamplona (that is where it first began).  They also celebrate three kings day which is something interesting that I did nto realize before traveling there.  Easter is very big there.  The royal family was very mixed up especially during the 1500-1700 because of inbreeding.  Hope this helps a little.
525275
http://www.mexonline.com/cinco.htm
909278
It has erupted many times.\n\nThese links have more info:\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayon_Volcano\nhttp://www.answers.com/topic/mayon-volcano
445875
I don't recall being expeceted to celebrate Cinco de Mayo...in fact in most of Mexico it's not celebrated.  It's basically another American excuse to get drunk and stupid, much like St. Patrick's Day has become.  Among my Mexican friends, the only one who is "celebrating" the fifth is doing so by spending the evening bussing tables at a Mexican restaurant to accomodate the influx of Corona-drinking, salsa spilling gringos.  I'll be spending Cinco anywhere BUT in a Mexican restaurant.
658602
Mexican Independence Day\n\nMexican Independence Day is the culmination of the Fiesta Patrias, a\nfestival celebrating Mexico's independence from Spain. The festival\nreaches a dramatic peak on September 15 at 11:00 p.m. when the President\nappears on the balcony of the National Palace to recite the Grito de\nDolores. This "cry of Dolores" recreates the speech given by Don Miguel\nHidalgo y Costillo on September 15,1810.\n\nHidalgo called for Mexican self-rule and a revolt against Spain. He was\ncaptured and executed by Spanish troops in 1811 and Mexico did not win\nindependence from Spain until 1821.\n\nIndependence Day is celebrated on September 16 with fireworks, parades,\nand ringing of cathedral bells.\n\n&&&&\n\nRemembering Independance\n\n16 de Septiembre\n\nThe 16th of September of 1810, marks the beginning of Mexico's struggle\nfor independance from Spain. Hence, this day is similar in many ways to\nthe American "4th of July," which commemorates American Independance\nfrom Britain.\n\n"El Grito de Dolores," (The cry in the village named Dolores-Sorrows-.)\n"Long live Independance! Long live America! Death to bad Government!"\n\nThis proclamation for Independance was made on this day by Miguel\nHidalgo, from the Balcony of the Parish of Nuestra Senora de Los\nDolores. (Our Lady of Sorrows.)\n\nA heroic Parish Priest, who is widely regarded as the Father of Mexican\nIndependance and a symbol of patriotism, Miguel Hidalgo De Costilla was\nresponsible for leading the first large revolutionary forces against the\nSpaniards. Tragically, however, shortly thereafter, he was captured and\nexecuted by a firing squad.\n\nFather Hidalgo's martyrdom, however, galvanized the Mexican people to\nstruggle and fight for independance. After Father Hidalgo's demise, Jose\nMaria Morelos, a small village priest, and a farseeing political and\nmilitary genius, rallied the revolutionary forces until his capture and\nexecution on December 22, 1815.\n\nHistorians sum up his service to the cause of Mexican independance by\nstating that "with him ended the heroic days of the Mexican Revolution."\n\nAs he read of the guerilla leader's brilliant campaigns, the French\nEmperor, Napoleon Bonaparte said," with three such men as Jose Morelos,\nI could conquer the world."\n\nVicente Guerrero, a liberal rebel and the inheritor of the\nHidalgo/Morelos tradition, continued the revolutionary struggle against\nthe Spaniards until 1824, when the Spanish were overthrown and Guadalupe\nVictoria, a liberal became the first elected president of the Republic\nof Mexico.\n\nAt the time, the Mexican Empire encompased all of Central America and\nthe Southwestern United States including California, New Mexico,\nArizona, Texas, Colorado, Nevada, Utah and parts of what now is the\nState of Kansas. There is even today great controversy and debate as to\nthe questionable, and perhaps unethical political means, the United\nStates used to acquire this vast territory from Mexico. A few Spanish\nland grants still survive today , and Hispanic land grant heirs still\nargue the United States should be forced to honor land rights they were\npromised in the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the\nMexican War.\n\nTo commemorate these revolutionary heroes, Mexico named three states\nafter them. Hidalgo, is a state just North of Mexico City, whereas\nGuerrero and Morelos are two adjacent states in Mexico's West coast.\nIn addition, many hospitals, schools and colleges, state and federal\nparks, universities and government buildings have been named to honor\nthese three Mexican Revolutionary Heroes - Hidalgo, Morelos, and\nGuerrero.\n\n&&&&\n\nHidalgo’s Call for Mexican\n                      Independence\n\n\n            ¡Mexicanos, Viva México!\n\n\n\n            Shortly before dawn on September 16, 1810,\n            Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla made a monumentous\n            decision
414961
During the Battle of Puebla (May 5, 1862), invading French troops were repulsed there by a much smaller Mexican force under the command of General Ignacio Zaragoza; thereafter the city was renamed Puebla de Zaragoza, and May 5th (Cinco de Mayo) became a Mexican national holiday. The Serdan brothers of Puebla played a major role in initiating the Mexican Revolution in 1910.
105655
There are more mexican restaurants, and more people speaking spanish. The culture has changed as well as cinco de mayo has become a mainstream celebration.
467326
The 5th of May is not Mexican Independence Day, but it should be!  And Cinco de Mayo is not an American holiday, but it should be.  Mexico declared its independence from mother Spain on midnight, the 15th of September, 1810.  And it took 11 years before the first Spanish soldiers were told and forced to leave Mexico.\n\nSo, why Cinco de Mayo?  And why should Americans savor this day as well?  Because 4,000 Mexican soldiers smashed the French and traitor Mexican army of 8,000 at Puebla, Mexico, 100 miles east of Mexico City on the morning of May 5, 1862.\n\nThe French had landed in Mexico (along with Spanish and English troops) five months earlier on the pretext of collecting Mexican debts from the newly elected government of democratic President (and Indian) Benito Juarez.  The English and Spanish quickly made deals and left.  The French, however, had different ideas.\n\nUnder Emperor Napoleon III, who detested the United States, the French came to stay.  They brought a Hapsburg prince with them to rule the new Mexican empire.  His name was Maximilian; his wife, Carolota.  Napoleon's French Army had not been defeated in 50 years, and it invaded Mexico with the finest modern equipment and with a newly reconstituted Foreign Legion.  The French were not afraid of anyone, especially since the United States was embroiled in its own Civil War.\n\nThe French Army left the port of Vera Cruz to attack Mexico City to the west, as the French assumed that the Mexicans would give up should their capital fall to the enemy -- as European countries traditionally did.\n\nUnder the command of Texas-born General Zaragosa, (and the cavalry under the command of Colonel Porfirio Diaz, later to be Mexico's president and dictator), the Mexicans awaited.  Brightly dressed French Dragoons led the enemy columns.  The Mexican Army was less stylish.\n\nGeneral Zaragosa ordered Colonel Diaz to take his cavalry, the best in the world, out to the French flanks.  In response, the French did a most stupid thing; they sent their cavalry off to chase Diaz and his men, who proceeded to butcher them.  The remaining French infantrymen charged the Mexican defenders through sloppy mud from a thunderstorm and through hundreds of head of stampeding cattle stirred up by Indians armed only with machetes.\n\nWhen the battle was over, many French were killed or wounded and their cavalry was being chased by Diaz' superb horsemen miles away.  The Mexicans had won a great victory that kept Napoleon III from supplying the confederate rebels for another year, allowing the United States to build the greatest army the world had ever seen.  This grand army smashed the Confederates at Gettysburg just 14 months after the battle of Puebla, essentially ending the Civil War.\n\nUnion forces were then rushed to the Texas/Mexican border under General Phil Sheridan, who made sure that the Mexicans got all the weapons and ammunition they needed to expel the French.  American soldiers were discharged with their uniforms and rifles if they promised to join the Mexican Army to fight the French.  The American Legion of Honor marched in the Victory Parade in Mexico, City.\n\nIt might be a historical stretch to credit the survival of the United States to those brave 4,000 Mexicans who faced an army twice as large in 1862.  But who knows?\n\nIn gratitude, thousands of Mexicans crossed the border after Pearl Harbor to join the U.S. Armed Forces.  As recently as the Persian Gulf War, Mexicans flooded American consulates with phone calls, trying to join up and fight another war for America.\n\nMexicans, you see, never forget who their friends are, and neither do Americans.  That's why Cinco de Mayo is such a party -- A party that celebrates freedom and liberty.  There are two ideals which Mexicans and Americans have fought shoulder to shoulder to protect, ever since the 5th of May, 1862.  VIVA! el CINCO DE MAYO!!