¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican fiesta that's celebrated on May 5 is an oddity: Although it's clearly of Mexican origin, it is probably celebrated more in the United States than it is in most of Mexico outside of the Puebla area, where the battle commemorated by the day occurred.

Go to any U.S. city with a large Mexican-heritage population today, and chances are there'll be some sort of a Cinco de Mayo celebration. That's not true everywhere in Mexico. And even in smaller U.S. communities without a Hispanic population, you'll find supermarket promotions and the like with a Cinco de Mayo theme.

Cinco de Mayo is often promoted as something like the Mexican independence day — but it's not, as independence is celebrated on Sept. 16. (By the way, if you ever get the chance to go to Mexico City on Independence Day, don't pass up the opportunity. You'll never see so many people in one place at one time as you will the evening of Sept. 15, when literally hundreds of thousands of people turn out to the city square known as the Zócalo.) In actuality, as our article about Cinco de Mayo (also in English) explains, May 5 is the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla. It was perhaps a minor battle from a historical perspective as the Mexican victory was short-lived, but nevertheless one that has been an inspiration across generations to those who fight against a more powerful foe.

You can learn more about Cinco de Mayo from the following Spanish-language articles:

• La Batalla de Puebla (Sinclair Community College)
• Cinco de Mayo '08 (AOL Latina)
• Cinco de Mayo (Univision)
• Cinco de Mayo (Blog El Mundo de Largo)
• Cinco de Mayo, una celebración de dos países (Glendale Community College)
• Cinco de Mayo (Ajúaa! Magazine)
• El cinco de mayo: una lucha por la libertad (Houston Institute for Culture)

And if you want to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in style, be sure to check out these features from elsewhere on the About.com network:

• Celebrate Cinco de Mayo (Homeschooling)
• Cinco de Mayo Foods and Recipes (Home Cooking)
• Cinco de Mayo in Mexico (Mexico Travel)
• Top 9 Cinco de Mayo Recipes (Mexican Food)
• Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Phoenix (Phoenix)
• Cinco de Mayo in Cleveland (Cleveland)
• Cinco de Mayo Celebrations (Honeymoons/Romantic Travel)