Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Cinco de Mayo
On May 5 every year, many places across the United States have a big party. The parties are all about Mexico, with Mexican food, drinks, music, and dancing. These celebrations are very popular in the United States. They are in celebration of Cinco de Mayo, which is Spanish for "the fifth of May."
Cinco de Mayo is not nearly as big a celebration in Mexico, though. Most Mexicans in Mexico don't celebrate Cinco de Mayo. There's one state in Mexico that does, though, and it's for a very good reason.
In 1861, the Mexican government was nearly bankrupt after fighting several wars. The government decided to put off repaying debts to England, Spain, and France. This made those three countries very angry, and they responded by sending warships to Mexico. England and Spain reached agreements with Mexico, but France didn't. French soldiers invaded Mexico and started marching toward Mexico City.
