Cinco De Mayo Celebration Ideas

By TMoM Team Member Suzy Fielders

For most Americans Cinco de Mayo mostly means sombreros, chips and salsa, and/or margaritas. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love all those things! But like any other national day or holiday, I think its important to understand what you are celebrating. So before diving into the ‘fun stuff’ like recipes and crafts I want to share some resources to learn more about this important day in Mexican history.

What Does Cinco De Mayo Mean?

Even if you never took a day of Spanish, you likely know that Cinco de Mayo means fifth of May in English. But why is that day important?

On May 5, 1862, General Ignacio Zaragoza led Mexico to victory over the French army during the Battle of Puebla. That is why to this day Mexico celebrates this Cinco De Mayo. Like the United States’ Independence Day celebrations, it is celebrated with dancing, parades, and food.

Are you wondering why we celebrate this day in the United States? Festivities on this day began in California in 1863 when it began to be observed annually. Today it is more of a celebration of Mexican American culture in our country.

Learn More About Cinco De Mayo

A great start to any Cinco De Mayo celebration is learning a little more about the holiday. Below are a few articles/sites to visit to do that!

Here are a couple of kid-friendly videos about the holiday as well.

Enjoy Mexican-Inspired Foods

One of my favorite parts about Cinco de Mayo is the food. I also love the music! Here are a few ideas of foods to enjoy or maybe even try for the first time on this day.

Tacos
Enchiladas
Nachos
Quesadillas
Chalupas

Those are merely a few foods that you would commonly find in Mexican-American restaurants. Below is my recipe for guacamole – another great food choice to enjoy on this day! It is delicious to eat, easy to make, and only requires five ingredients.

Guacamole Ingredients

Avocados
White Onion
Sour Cream
Rotel
Lime Juice

Directions to Make Guacamole

First, you want avocados that are just the right ripeness. That’s honestly the hardest part about making guacamole. They should be mostly brown skin and feel soft to press, but not too squishy. When you open them, it should be green and soft, but no brown spots.

The number of avocados you use depends on how big of a batch you want. I typically use around three, but if you are making this for a party, group, or have a large family, then you will likely want four or five.

After you select your avocados:

Carefully remove the pit
Cut or scoop out the insides
Put them in a large mixing bowl
Mash up the avocados to make the guacamole smoother

Next, dice up your onion. The amount you use depends a little on how much you are making. For three avocados, I typically use 1/3 to 1/4 cup of diced onions.

After the onions comes the Rotel. You’ll need one can and be sure to drain it. Then, add one scoop of sour cream. Finally, add a couple squirts of lime juice.

Once you have all the ingredients in your mixing bowl, stir it up. Enjoy it with your favorite tortilla chips!