Article 2 (Apr 2022): Cinco de Mayo: A great day for a party, mainly in the U.S.

You might be surprised to know that Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that has increasingly caught the imaginations of Americans, is not often celebrated throughout Mexico.
              
The day commemorates the battle on May 5, 1862, when Mexico won a dramatic victory over the French. The day is still celebrated in the state of Puebla, but rarely throughout the rest of the country.
              
The forces of Napoleon III foolishly marched 6,000 soldiers from the coast toward Mexico City. The route took them to the city of Puebla de Zaragoza, where the French general ordered a direct assault up a steep hill. But the Mexican army had fortified the hill with a ditch and brick wall, and with a force of just 2,000 soldiers, killed 1,000 French soldiers and forced a retreat.
              
The French learned something that day, and when they returned in 1863, they brought reinforcements and took Puebla. But that wasn't the end of the story. In 1867, the Mexican army retook the city, ending the French occupation and forever reminding the world that Mexico is determined to thwart aggression.
              
Still, that great history is mainly celebrated in the state of Puebla -- and in the United States, according to Britannica.com.
              
Naturally, the U.S. enthusiasm for Cinco de Mayo has spawned plenty of critics. They say it became a colorful, festive occasion in the U.S. because beer companies decided to make it the Mexican equivalent of St. Patrick's Day.
 
Nonetheless, the day is still celebrated widely throughout the U.S. and its popularity is increasing.  In Mexico, a far more popular and patriotic day is September 16, Mexican Independence Day.