A Fiesta to Remember: Celebrating Cinco de Mayo

What is Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is celebrated annually on May 5. Despite a popular misconception, it is not Mexican Independence Day. According to history, Cinco de Mayo is observed to commemorate the Mexican Army’s triumph against the French Empire during the Battle of Puebla that happened on May 5, 1862.

While it celebrates the Mexican military, Cinco de Mayo has been significant and more popular in the United States than in Mexico. It has been a cultural holiday that has grown and changed in time to celebrate Mexican culture, to party and mingle with people, and for some, a delightful chance to drink a lot of fruity margaritas! 

Cinco de Mayo Recipes

You don’t have to live in Mexico to throw an unforgettable Cinco de Mayo party! Aside from a bar filled with tequila cocktails, mimosas, and more, start with a great menu to make sure you serve your guests with vibrant dishes—because who doesn’t love a hearty fiesta?

Here are some of the lovely Mexican dishes you cannot miss to include on your menu:

• Chicken Enchiladas
• Chimichanga Alamo
• Mexican Red Rice
• Pork Carnitas
• Chiles Rellenos

Cinco de Mayo Party Ideas

Now that you are ready to serve a banquet in style, you can plan the decorations! It’s time for a figurative trip south of the border featuring Mexican-themed decorations. A Cinco de Mayo party is all about vibrant and festive colors. Start by decorating your entrance with colorful hanging sombreros.

You can also hang drapes of red, white, and green to highlight Mexico’s national colors. Your tables can have cactus succulents as centerpieces or fill glass vases with cut limes or chili or bell peppers. Enhance your wall backgrounds with strips of ribbons and make a garden of paper flowers!

Don’t forget the fiesta-worthy games when throwing your Cinco de Mayo party! Here are some we’ve rounded up to make sure you’re hosting a lively event your guests will surely enjoy.

• Cinco de Mayo Fact Book
• Talking Tacos
• Sombrero Cookies
• Papel Picados
• Easy Paper Bag Piñatas

Lastly, completely brighten up your party with a piñata for guests to crack open later. Here are the easy steps on how you can DIY a traditional Mexican star piñata:

1. Make a paper-mache paste. You will need flour, water, and salt for this.
2. Cut out old newspapers to make paper-mache strips.
3. Inflate a balloon. In the thick paste you made, put the newspaper strips and plaster over the ballon. Make sure it is covered entirely before adding a few more layers of newspaper strips. The trick here is to let each layer dry first before pasting the next layer.
4. You can pop the balloon once all the layers are completely dry. 
5. Create the points of your star out of five party hats. Using a strong tape, simply attach a line of these hats around the piñata.
6. Using colorful crepe paper, decorate the piñata and style the tips of its cones by leaving a few ribbons hanging.
7. Cut a hole in the paper-mache large enough so you could put candies. Then punch four small holes around that initial hole. Hang your Mexican star piñata by threading the string through the smaller holes.