In the United States, many people know about Cinco de Mayo. Huge crowds cannot wait to start the festivities every May. But few know the really history for this Mexican celebration. The average person in the States will say it has something to do with “the Mexican freedom thing,” that is not the truth. Independence Day for Mexico is the 16th of September.

During the 1950s, the United States had a program called The Good Neighbor Policy that encouraged Americans to reach out to our neighboring countries. Cinco de Mayo was first introduced to Americans at this time. In the 1960s, Chicano activists made the holiday more visible as a method to inspire cultural pride among Mexican-Americans.

By the time the 1980s rolled around, the holiday had been slowly growing in notoriety. Throughout this decade’s commercialism, Cinco de Mayo had been advertised as an excellent holiday to devote to drinking alcoholic beverages from American companies. It is because of these companies that Cinco do Mayo had become mainstream in American culture, although the true meaning of it, to celebrate Mexico’s victory against the French in 1862, was diluted.

As Cinco de Mayo’s mainstream status grew, more Americans became interested in celebrating it. People began to look into Mexican traditions, music, and food. Cinco de Mayo would soon become a hotly anticipated holiday every year.

Today, Cinco de Mayo is a terrific reason to treat yourself to Mexican culture. Partygoers can have fun dressing up in colorful costumes, decorate their houses with symbols of Mexico, and have a great time. Children hear about this holiday at school and share what they have learned with the family.

People all over the country design huge parties for Cinco de Mayo. The Mexican population is not the only ones celebrating. All of our ethic groups have connected together with this fun holiday. Major cities all over the map celebrate Cinco de Mayo. There is Port Huron in Michigan, New York, Los Angeles and many more.

For those who prefer to celebrate closer to home, it is easy to make their own preparations for the celebration. They may cook Cinco de Mayo food, put up decorations, and listen to traditional mariachi music. Private parties are almost as popular now as the public parties held in restaurants, bars, and communities around the country.

If you have ever been curious about some Mexican recipes, Cinco de Mayo is the perfect time to try them. Make some excellent food for you and your family to enjoy and share some of the culture of Mexico. Invite some friends over and have them bring snacks.

If you find that the margaritas are better at the Mexican cantinas or you just love eating out, go for it. Your neighborhood Mexican bistro will have a great celebration planned. Just sit back, enjoy the music, and dance to your heart’s content. There is nothing that says you have to make it a huge celebration, either. You can pick up or cook your own simple meal, drop in a DVD of your favorite Zorro movie and sit back and enjoy.

MexicanFoodRecipes.org is the place to look if you want to find the most comprehensive list of excellent Mexican recipes all in one place. We have everything from tacos to tamales and fajitas to casseroles, soups, salads, salsa recipes and everything else you can think of, which you can cook yourself at home with ease.