The 5th of May, known in Spanish as “Cinco de Mayo” (which literally means “5th of May”) is a holiday celebrated in Mexico, as well as (principally by Mexican people, and people of Mexican descent) in many parts of the United States of America, especially California (where the holiday has been celebrated every year since 1863). It should however be noted that in Mexico, that May 5th is not an obligatory federal holiday, and in fact the holiday is mainly celebrated in the state of Puebla, by the Mexican ex-patriate community in the United States.
Many Americans wrongly believe that Mexico, that May 5th marks Mexican Independence Day – but this is not the case. In fact, the holiday commemorates the victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín over invading French troops at the battle of Puebla, which took place on May 5th, 1862.
Today, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in a wide variety of different ways. In Mexico, typical activities include music and dancing, and of course eating many excellent foods. In the United States, these kind of events also take place, but the holiday has also become an opportunity to more generally display Mexican culture and Mexican symbols. Prominent people of Mexican descent often take part in the celebrations, many businesses provide Mexican-themed beverages and food on the holiday, and numerous school districts organize special events and celebrations of Mexican culture.
Many teachers also like to use the occasion to teacher their pupils a little about Mexican culture. One idea that is well-suited to the opportunity is to play Cinco de Mayo bingo. This is just like normal bingo, except that the bingo cards are printed with words or phrases relating to Mexico or Mexican culture, instead of the usual numbers. The teacher acts as bingo caller, the students each get their own bingo card, and then you’re ready to play! The game can be a wonderful opportunity to trigger class discussions about each of the items of the card, as they are called out.
By: Sunil Tanna
Sep 03
