Tuesday is Cinco de Mayo, in Mexico a relatively minor holiday, but in the United States, an excuse to indulge in margaritas, cervezas or beer, guacamole and tacos. But what exactly does Cinco de Mayo celebrate? Brush up on its rich history and modern traditions below. Is Cinco de Mayo the s ame as Mexico’s independence day? Cinco de Mayo is sometimes confused with “Día de la Independencia,” or Mexico’s independence day. That holiday, also known as “El Grito de la Independencia,” is observed on Sept. 16, when Mexico celebrates its independence from Spain. Why is Cinco de Mayo observed? In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is a day of remembrance, commemorating Mexico’s victory over the French during the 1862 Battle of Puebla. An outnumbered Mexican army — led by Ignacio Zaragoza, a 33-year-old Texan from Goliad — defeated the invading French forces at the small town of Puebla de Los Angeles during the Franco-Mexico War. The retreat of the French troops came to symbolize the country’s ability to defend its sovereignty against a powerful foreign nation. What is the history of Cinco de Mayo celebrations in the U.S.? The first record of an American Cinco de Mayo celebration dates to 1862, when Mexicans living in California commemorated the victory over France, according to an article from a newspaper in Columbia, California. The win in the Battle of Puebla also came during the U.S. Civil War at a time when the Confederacy was expanding into New Mexico and Arizona, and getting closer to California, which was a free state at the time. News of the underdog Mexican army beating back Napoleon III’s forces gave new strength to California’s Latinos, who sought to stop the advances of the Confederate army. “For Mexicans in the U.S., the Civil War and the French invasion of Mexico were like one war with two fronts. They were concerned about France, which sided with the Confederacy, being on America’s doorstep,” David Hayes-Bautista, professor of medicine and director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the University of California Los Angeles, said in a 2016 interview with NBC News. The tradition of celebrating Cinco de Mayo has continued in Los Angeles without interruption since then, according to Hayes-Bautista, although the history has gotten lost. Why did Cinco de Mayo become popular in the U.S.? About a century later, Chicano activists rediscovered the holiday and embraced it as a symbol of ethnic pride. But the party-filled Cinco de Mayo that Americans celebrate today didn’t become popular until U.S. beer companies began targeting the Spanish-speaking population in the 1970s and 1980s, Jose Alamillo, a California professor of Chicano studies, told Time Magazine. Today, Cinco de Mayo in the U.S. is primarily a celebration of Mexican-American culture, with the largest event in Los Angeles. What are some authentic Cinco de Mayo recipes? Mole Poblano with rice and beans. If you want to do Cinco de Mayo right, put down the taco, por favor. Contrary to popular belief, you won’t find ground beef tacos, nachos and frozen margaritas in Mexico on Cinco de Mayo. The traditional dish eaten in the town of Puebla on their big holiday is mole poblano, according to the Smithsonian. Invented in the late 17th century, mole is a thick sauce made with chocolate, chiles, nuts and other spices. Traditionally, the sauce covers succulent chicken or turkey. While mole recipes differ from family to family and by state in Mexico, they all have one thing in common: mole represents the heart of Mexican culture because it’s served on the most special of occasions, including weddings, baby showers and holidays. To make this classic Mexican sauce, try this TODAY recipe from Lourdes Juarez. ...read more read less