India, May 3 -- Every year on May 5, colorful parades, lively music, and the scent of tacos and margaritas fill the air across the United States. Cinco de Mayo, often mistaken for Mexico's Independence Day, has become a widely celebrated event in the US, blending historical remembrance with modern festivity, as reported by Florida Today.

But beyond the food and revelry, the day has deep historical roots and cultural significance - both in Mexico and among Mexican-American communities in the US.

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla, which took place on May 5, 1862. On that day, a small and poorly equipped Mexican army, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza, achieved a surprising victory over French forces - considered one of the str...