Cinco de Mayo......Mexican or American Holiday?

Batalla de Puebla, 5 de mayo de 1862
source: Wikimedia Commons.

Cinco de Mayo is celebrated throughout the U.S.......yes, that's correct,  it's celebrated in the U.S. even though most people believe it's a Mexican holiday.

What is the real story here? Wikipedia states that

" the Battle of Puebla took place on 5 May 1862, near the city of Puebla during the French intervention in Mexico. The battle ended in a victory for the Mexican Army over the occupying French forces. The Mexican victory is celebrated yearly on the fifth of May. Its celebration is regional in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla,where the holiday is celebrated as El Día de la Batalla de Puebla .......................this holiday remains very popular in the United States where it is celebrated yearly as Cinco de Mayo."

In the U.S., Cinco de Mayo is often mistaken to be Mexico's Independence Day, which took place on September 16, 1810, and is considered the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence, a revolt against the Spanish colonial government started by the by Miguel Hidalgo, a Mexican Catholic priest.

Next time you see a Cinco de Mayo party in American cafes or restaurants, don't expect to find too many Mexicans, unless they are from Puebla, but mostly Americans looking for a good time with margaritas and tacos.