Many people believe Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico's independence from Spain, but this is far from reality. This holiday commemorates La Batalla de Puebla, a battle that took place before the Mexican revolution and after the Mexican-American war of 1846-1848. La Batalla de Puebla was between a small Mexican army (about 4,000 men) against the French army-which was double the size of the Mexican army.
The wild and completely crazy detail behind this piece of history is that in 1862 General Ignacio Zaragoza attacked the French army by releasing a herd of stampeding cattle ahead of his men. This successfully crippled the French army.
I believe the significance of Cinco de Mayo derives from the strength and the courage of the Mexican army that allowed it to destroy the French army at "La Batalla de Puebla."
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