Neighborhood-Kids All Local. All for Kids. All the Time.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

by Neighborhood-Kids.com5/2/2008 4:14:23 PM

A 50-meter high monumental flag flies over Ensenada in Baja California.

In America, the date for our Independence Day, the 4th of July, is used almost synonymously in reference to the holiday itself. So, the misconception that Cinco de Mayo refers to Mexico’s own Independence Day is somewhat understandable. But Mexico’s Independence Day actually takes place on September 16, the date when Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and his followers launched a revolt against the Spanish colonial government in 1810; Mexican independence was officially recognized in 1821.

Cinco de Mayo actually celebrates a Mexican victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It is not a federal Mexican holiday and is primarily celebrated in the state of Puebla. Much like St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo has been a way for Mexican immigrants to observe their cultural traditions in their new homes around the world.

Another interesting story about Mexican history is the background for their flag and coat of arms. At its initial adoption in 1821, the three colors of the flag—green, white, and red—represented Mexico’s independence from Spain, their religious tradition, and the union of Europeans and Native Americans.

Mexico’s coat of arms references an ancient Aztec tale.

The Mexican coat of arms on the center stripe of the flag is an eagle eating a snake standing on a cactus. According to an ancient myth, the nomadic tribe of the Aztecs had been commanded by their gods to settle in a place where they found an eagle sitting on a cactus eating a snake. After two hundred years of wandering, they found the eagle and snake on a cactus growing on a rock in the middle of a lake. At this place, they founded the city of Tenochtitlan, now Mexico City, by building an artificial island and a series of canals to accommodate the expanding city.

With some colored construction paper and a set of crayons, this flag is an easy art project for kids to make and hang on their wall during a Cinco de Mayo celebration.

You can learn more about both Mexican holidays by checking out Mexican Independence Day and Cinco de Mayo by Dianne M. MacMillan, with backgrounds about both holidays and their annual traditions. And a great read for preschoolers is Off We Go to Mexico by Laurie Krebs with lots of Spanish phrases and colorful illustrations.