Cinco de Mayo is a date of great importance for the Mexican and Chicano communities. It marks the victory of the Mexican Army over the French at the Battle of Puebla. In 2014, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on Monday, 5th of May. Cinco de Mayo's history has its roots in the French Occupation of Mexico. The French occupation took shape in the aftermath of the Mexican-American War of 1846-48.
With this war, Mexico entered a period of national crisis during the 1850's. Years of not only fighting the Americans but also a Civil War, had left Mexico devastated and bankrupt. On July 17, 1861, President Benito Juarez issued a moratorium in which all foreign debt payments would be suspended for a brief period of two years, with the promise that after this period, payments would resume. Cinco de Mayo is not an American Holiday but it is celebrated on a much larger scale by Chicanos in the U.S. than in Mexico. In Mexico, the celebration of Independence Day is considered more important.
Cinco de Mayo is the celebration of the courage of the Mexican people during the battle (La Batalla de Puebla) on May 5th, 1862 where 4,500 Mexican soldiers defeated the Mexican traitors (exiled Mexican Convervatives) and French army of 6,500 at Puebla, Mexico. Puebla is 100 miles east of Mexico City. The Mexican forces were made up of untrained commoners. This victory did not win the war but it showed the courage and strength of the Mexican troops. The "Batalla de Puebla" became a symbol of Mexican unity and patriotism.