Many outside of Mexico mistakenly believe that Cinco de Mayo is the celebration of Mexican Independence but it actually commemorates the Mexican army’s victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. Mexico’s Independence Day is celebrated on September 16th.

While many Americans now enjoy celebrating, Cinco de Mayo was not widely-known in the U.S. until after the 1960s. Today, Cinco de Mayo festivities in the United States even rival those in Mexico in scale. In fact…

While the Mexican state of Puebla has large Cinco de Mayo celebrations - often with military reenactments, parades and other festive events – Los Angeles is home to what is considered the largest Cinco de Mayo party in the world called Fiesta Broadway.

Cinco de Mayo parties can be found globally, including New Zealand, the Cayman Islands and Australia!

The California Avocado Commission estimates that 81 million pounds of avocados are consumed every Cinco de Mayo!

No matter how you decide to celebrate – have fun, stay safe and keep hydrated!