Many businesses hold Cinco de Mayo celebrations at their office and having a few fun facts on hand can make you the life of the party.  Here is a brief background of the holiday and some fun facts about its evolution.

1. “Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for May 5) celebrates the Mexican army's victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.”

2. “The Battle of Puebla was part of the Franco-Mexican War. One of the reasons it's so significant is because the French army was much larger and better prepared than the Mexican army. They had more weaponry and more men at their disposal, but the French still lost the battle to Mexico (though they did eventually win the war).”

3. “Cinco de Mayo is often confused as being Mexico's Independence Day. Mexico's Independence Day is September 16th and is considered to be Mexico's most important patriotic holiday.”

4. “The holiday was popularized in the U.S. in part by Chicano activists in the 1960s and 1970s, who identified with the Mexican Indian and mestizo (people of Mexican Indian and European descent) soldiers' triumph over European conquest attempts.”

5. “The world's largest Cinco de Mayo celebration is held in Los Angeles, California. It's called 'Fiesta Broadway', and began in 1990. Approximately 600,000 people attend the celebration.”

6. “Cinco de Mayo is not a major holiday in Mexico. It is a day off for students, but besides some parades and civic events, celebrations are generally low-key. In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is not, as it is in the United States, a general celebration of Mexican culture and history or even a time to imbibe substantial amounts of tequila (at least not more so than any other day of the year).”

7. “At one time, Cinco de Mayo was widely celebrated in all of Mexico and by Mexicans living in former Mexican territories such as Texas and California. After a while, it was ignored in Mexico but the celebrations continued north of the border where people never got out of the habit of remembering the famous battle.”

8. “In the city of Puebla, where the May 5th battle took place, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated to a greater extent than in the rest of Mexico, with a battle re-enactment and a major parade and fireworks. The parade winds its way along Cinco de Mayo Boulevard, to the area of the Forts of Guadalupe, just north of the city, where there are fireworks and general celebrations.”

9. “Not surprisingly, 47% of all drinks ordered on Cinco de Mayo are margaritas. Tequila sales easily double within the week leading up to this infamous holiday. But, long ago this beloved Mexican alcohol couldn’t be enjoyed by all Mexican people.  Centuries ago, Aztec priests used to make a milky beer-like drink from the agave plant called pulque. Only the priests could consume this precursor of tequila, which after a steep decline is slowly beginning to make a comeback.”

10. “If you want to do Cinco de Mayo right, put down the taco. The traditional dish eaten in the town of Puebla on their big holiday is mole poblano (pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable, like guacamole).  Invented in the late 17th century, mole is a thick sauce made with chocolate, chili peppers, and other spices. Traditionally, the sauce covers succulent turkey legs. Yum.”