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Dancers at Cinco de Mayo parades perform traditional Mexican folk dances called baile folklórico. Dancers point their toes and have large exaggerated movements.

Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican celebration that takes place every year on May 5. The day commemorates Mexico’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. While only Mexico originally recognized Cinco de Mayo, it has become a largely celebrated holiday in the United States. 

“Although I didn’t know about it for a while, I heard about a few weeks ago,” freshman Leila Sawicki said. “I got really excited,”

Cinco de Mayo has a deep history that affected both Mexico and the United States, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. In 1862, France wanted to claim Mexico for itself, so Emperor Napoleon III sent troops to drive Mexican President Benito Juárez and his government out of the city of Veracruz. During this conflict, a greatly outnumbered army of Mexican soldiers defied the odds and defeated the French army at Puebla on May 5, so Juárez named the day a national holiday. This battle also ensured Union victory during the Civil War because the French were forced to leave North America and never had the chance to ally with the Confederacy. 

“I did not celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and many Latinos don’t celebrate it outside of Puebla in Mexico,” Spanish teacher Diana Bolanos said. “It’s really is mainly an American celebration,”

People celebrate Cinco de Mayo by immersing themselves in Mexican cultures. This includes attending parades, eating Mexican food, and listening to Mexican folk music, according to National Geographic. There’s also a lot of dancing and some communities act out scenes from the Battle of Puebla. 

“I ate a burrito with my family,” sophomore Elizabeth Fox said. “It was delicious and helped reflect on the celebration,”

In San Francisco, street celebrations and parades were held, many of which allowed alcohol consumption during the day. Many families also held parties on their own. There was even a Cinco de Mayo 5k that took place.  

“On Cinco de Mayo I was in Monterey and witnessed cars flying Mexican flags to commemorate the holiday,” Sawicki said. “I celebrated by eating some tacos with my family.”