Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War.

A relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations.

The battle lasted from daybreak to early evening, and when the French finally retreated they had lost nearly 500 soldiers.

The “Jarabe Tapatio” is probably the most well-known Mexican dance. It is known is English as the “Mexican Hat Dance”. It is a partner dance, where a man does his best to seduce a woman, and at the end he is rewarded for his efforts with an implied kiss behind a sombrero.