Cinco de Mayo in United States
Quick Facts
'Cinco de Mayo' means 'Fifth of May' in Spanish and is a festival of Mexican pride and heritage.Name
Cinco de MayoCinco de Mayo 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008Cinco de Mayo 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009See list of observations below
Cinco de Mayo is observed on May 5, the anniversary of a victory in 1862 in the fight for independence from French forces. It is a festival of Mexican pride and heritage in the United States. Commercial interests in the United States mean that the celebrations are actually more widely observed there than in Mexico, where it is a local holiday in the city and state of Puebla.
Cinco de Mayo is a day of Mexican pride and heritage. ©iStockphoto.com/Jyeshern Cheng
What do people do?
Cinco de Mayo is seen as a day to celebrate the culture, achievements and experiences of people with a Mexican background, who live in the United States. There is a large commercial element to the day, with businesses promoting Mexican services and goods, particularly food, drinks and music. Other aspects of the day center around traditional symbols of Mexican life, such as the Virgin de Guadalupe, and Mexican-Americans who have achieved fame, fortune and influence in the United States.The largest and most prominent celebrations of Cinco de Mayo are in cities such as Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco, San Antonio, Sacramento, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Denver and El Paso in the Southwest of the USA. In these cities, a large proportion of the population has Mexican origins. Many people hang up banners and school districts organize lessons and special events to educate their pupils about the culture of Americans of Mexican descent. In some areas, particularly in Pubelo de Los Angeles, celebrations of regional Mexican music and dancing are held.
Public life
May 5 is not a federal holiday. Organizations, businesses and schools are open as usual. Public transit systems run on their usual schedule. In some areas of some cities, especially those in the Southwest, local parades and street events may cause some local congestion to traffic.Background
Cinco de Mayo officially commemorates the anniversary of an early victory by Mexican forces over French forces in the Battle of Pubela on May 5, 1862. It is not the anniversary of the defeat and expulsion of the French forces by the Mexicans, which occurred in 1867. It is also not, as is often assumed, the day of Mexico's celebrations of independence, which are actually held on September 16. It is believed that the origins of Cinco de Mayo celebrations lie in the responses of Mexicans living in California in the 1860s to French rule in Mexico at that time.Cinco de Mayo Observances
| Weekday | Date | Year | Name | Holiday type | Where it is observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | May 5 | 1980 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Tue | May 5 | 1981 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Wed | May 5 | 1982 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Thu | May 5 | 1983 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Sat | May 5 | 1984 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Sun | May 5 | 1985 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Mon | May 5 | 1986 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Tue | May 5 | 1987 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Thu | May 5 | 1988 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Fri | May 5 | 1989 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Sat | May 5 | 1990 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Sun | May 5 | 1991 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Tue | May 5 | 1992 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Wed | May 5 | 1993 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Thu | May 5 | 1994 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Fri | May 5 | 1995 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Sun | May 5 | 1996 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Mon | May 5 | 1997 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Tue | May 5 | 1998 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Wed | May 5 | 1999 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Fri | May 5 | 2000 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Sat | May 5 | 2001 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Sun | May 5 | 2002 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Mon | May 5 | 2003 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Wed | May 5 | 2004 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Thu | May 5 | 2005 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Fri | May 5 | 2006 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Sat | May 5 | 2007 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Mon | May 5 | 2008 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Tue | May 5 | 2009 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Wed | May 5 | 2010 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Thu | May 5 | 2011 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Sat | May 5 | 2012 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Sun | May 5 | 2013 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Mon | May 5 | 2014 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance | |
| Tue | May 5 | 2015 | Cinco de Mayo | Observance |
Other holidays in May 2008 in United States
- Law Day (Thursday, May 1, 2008)
- Ascension Day (Thursday, May 1, 2008)
- National Day of Prayer (Thursday, May 1, 2008)
- Loyalty Day (Thursday, May 1, 2008)
- Yom HaShoah (Friday, May 2, 2008)
- World Press Freedom Day (Saturday, May 3, 2008)
- Rhode Island Independence Day (Sunday, May 4, 2008)
- Truman Day (Thursday, May 8, 2008)
- Yom HaAtzmaut (Thursday, May 8, 2008)
- Confederate Memorial Day (Friday, May 9, 2008)
- Confederate Memorial Day (Saturday, May 10, 2008)
- Confederate Memorial Day (Saturday, May 10, 2008)
- Pentecost (Sunday, May 11, 2008)
- Mother's Day (Sunday, May 11, 2008)
- Whit Monday (Monday, May 12, 2008)
- Peace Officers Memorial Day (Thursday, May 15, 2008)
- International Day of Families (Thursday, May 15, 2008)
- National Defense Transportation Day (Friday, May 16, 2008)
- World Information Society Day (Saturday, May 17, 2008)
- Trinity Sunday (Sunday, May 18, 2008)
- World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (Wednesday, May 21, 2008)
- National Maritime Day (Thursday, May 22, 2008)
- International Day for Biological Diversity (Thursday, May 22, 2008)
- Corpus Christi (Thursday, May 22, 2008)
- Lag B'Omer (Friday, May 23, 2008)
- African Liberation Day (Sunday, May 25, 2008)
- Memorial Day (Monday, May 26, 2008)
Other calendars
- Perpetual yearly calendar - make yearly calendar for any year
- Perpetual monthly calendar - shows only one month at a time
- Custom calendar - make customized calendars
