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Cinco de Mayo, celebrated on the 5th of May, commemorates the triumph of a small Mexican army over French forces in an 1862 battle, "Batalla de Puebla".

The Battle at Puebla took place only 14 years after the United States defeated Mexico in the Mexican- American War. With a weakened army and lagging national pride, the odds were against the Mexican people.

But when French forces, backed by Emperor Napoleon III, marched on Mexico City and threatened to turn it into a French monarchy, the Mexican people quickly organized.

Led by Mexico's former Secretary of War, Ignacio Zaragoza, the Mexican army first fought the French invaders at Acultzingo on April 28. They were forced to withdraw, but quickly regrouped in the strategic city of Puebla. On May 5th, despite the exhaustion of the troops and meager resources, the 33-year-old general and his army forced the invaders to retreat.

In the United States, the "Batalla de Puebla" came to be known as simply "Cinco de Mayo" and unfortunately, many people wrongly equate it with Mexican Independence which was on September 16, 1810, nearly a fifty year difference.

Over, the years Cinco de Mayo has become very commercialized and many people see this holiday as a time for fun and dance. Oddly enough, Cinco de Mayo has become more of Chicano holiday than a Mexican one.

Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on a much larger scale here in the United States than it is in Mexico. People of Mexican descent in the United States celebrate this significant day by having parades, mariachi music, folklorico dancing and other types of festive activities.

Cinco de Mayo Fun Facts The holiday is most celebrated in California, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas, and there's a lot of history behind that. Texas was annexed to the United States in 1845, which led to the Mexican-American war. The other three states were annexed from Mexico in 1848 following the US victory in that war. Despite the war, all of these states continue to have close ties to the people and culture of Mexico.

The town of Puebla, the site of the battle, has the most extravagant and colorful celebration in Mexico, with a reenactment of the battle in addition to the festivities.

Poetry Creative Writing Prompts 1 Poetry Creative Writing Prompts 1. Write a poem dedicated to an event where you or someone you knew prevailed despite having many obstacles and difficulties along the way. You can write a poem dedicated to an ancestor who fought in the war or something more closer to home, such as a person who was able to graduate from university even though nobody believed he would. 2. Write a poem about how you wish Cinco De Mayo could be celebrated for you and your loved ones. This could be anything from having a massive party, visiting a Mexican city or traveling through the galaxy looking for similar places that remind you of Mexico. 4. Write a poem with the following words: French, mariachi, fortune and independence. 5. Take some time to view some artwork related to Cinco De Mayo. Write a poem that reflects on some of your feelings and thoughts when viewing this artwork.

Fiction Creative Writing Prompts 1. Write a story where the setting is of the Mexican battle that lead to Cinco de Mayo. 2. A group of students decide to educate their local community about the meaning of Cinco de Mayo. In their community, many people view the holiday as an excuse to eat Mexican food. Write a story that begins with dedicated students who want to educate their community on its historical significance. 3. Your story begins with professional dancers preparing for the National Cinco De Mayo festival. However, one of the dancers goes missing a few days before the event. What happens next?