Cinco De Mayo
May 5th
The History Behind the Custom
Benito Juarez was the president at the time of Cinco De Mayo. Mexico owed money to England, Spain, and France but suspended their debt for a time. France became impatient and Napoleon the third decided he would overthrow Mexico's government. So on May 5, 1862 Mexico took on an the French army in the Battle of Puebla. Under General Zaragoza the Mexican army was victorious.It is now celebrated annually in community festivals celebrating Mexican culture and history. This celebration involves traditional foods along with bright colored parades and pinatas.
For the past couple years Cabarrus County 4-H has held their meetings on Cinco de Mayo where we hold our business meeting then proceed to explore different aspects of the celebration. For example we have cooked and served sopapillas and a few other traditional Mexican dishes, learned the basics steps to the salsa, and created colorful crafts. Although I am not of Mexican descent I enjoy celebrating some of the aspects of this Mexican holiday every year.