Trivia on Cinco de Mayo

Mexican community celebrates more then 365 festivals each year. Cinco de mayo is one of them.

The words "Cinco de Mayo" means the Fifth of May in the Spanish language.

The largest Cinco de Mayo event in the world is the "Festival de Fiesta Broadway" held in Los Angeles, California. It is attended every year by more than 600,000 people and celebrated with music and food.

Chihuahuas, and not humans, are the highlight of the annual Cinco de Mayo festival in Chandler, Arizona. This grand event witnesses Chihuahua parades, races and pageants and ends with the crowning of a King and Queen from among the Chihuahuas.

Cinco de Mayo is often confused with the Mexican Independence Day, which is on September 16. But Cinco de Mayo is actually a commemoration of the unexpected victory of 4,000 Mexican soldiers over a French army twice as large at the Battle of Puebla.

General Ignacio Zaragoza led the Mexican forces in the Battle of Puebla.

In the United States, Cinco de Mayo was popularized by Chicano activists in the 1960s and 1970s.

The historic Battle of Puebla ended after only two hours of fighting.

Cinco de Mayo is the largest tequila consumption day in the U.S. In fact, Americans can’t get enough of Mexico’s native spirit. Since 2002, U.S. imports of tequila have grown 48% - an average rate of 6.7% per year. In 2008 alone, more than 10.6 million 9-liter cases were sold. Tequila volume continues to grow despite the current recession.

Cinco de Mayo is so popular in Texas, that the State Legislation only allows the sale of fireworks on New Year’s Eve, 4th of July, Texas’ Independence Day in June, and, in some border areas, for the Cinco de Mayo celebrations.