Cinco de Mayo, or The Fifth of May, is here, and tonight is the night to come celebrate at Sonora Grill!

Many people mistakenly think Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s Independence Day (September 16), but Cinco de Mayo actually commemorates the victory of the Mexicans over the French army at The Battle of Puebla in 1862.

Mexico had endured a number of internal political upheaveals including the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) and the Mexican Civil War of 1858, but the country’s economy was in trouble. Mexico had accumulated large debts to several countries including Spain, England, and France, and they were all demanding payment. 

France was greedily looking for opportunities to add to their empire, so they used the debt issue to attempt to establish its own leadership in Mexico. Mexico stopped making loan payments, and consequently, France appointed their own ruler of Mexico. Their army invaded at the gulf coast of Mexico and began to march toward Mexico City. 

At the Mexican forts of Loreto and Guadalupe, the French army came up against strong resistance. It was the fifth of May, and a small, poorly armed militia of some 4,500 men were able to stop and defeat a well outfitted French army of 6,500 soldiers. This miraculous defeat stopped France’s invasion and developed a needed sense of national unity and patriotism within Mexico.

Unfortunately, the victory was short lived. France sent an additional 30,000 soldiers and took over Mexico City one year later. In 1867, when the American Civil War was over, the United States provided Mexico political and military assistance which helped them finally overpower and expel the French.

Cinco de Mayo is recognized throughout Mexico, but it is celebrated more as a regional holiday in Puebla. Interestingly, it has become a bigger holiday north of the border in the United States than it is to the south.

Cinco de Mayo honors the brave men of General Zaragoza’s outnumbered militia at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, and it also gives us the chance to celebrate Mexican culture, customs, music, and food.

Cinco de Mayo and Taco Tuesday? What more could you ask for? Come enjoy Utah’s best Mexican food at Sonora Grill!