Cinco de Mayo at Mexico

Overview

Two things that go well together are history and margaritas. Come 4 May, Auckland's very own Mexico is offering you the latter at its Britomart, Ellerslie and Takapuna branches. They're even teaming up with tequila legends Jose Cuervo to instruct you in the art of margarita making. During the 90-minute masterclass you'll learn to make a variety of tequila-based cocktails, and enjoy a delicious array of nibbles. Cinco de Mayo sorted.

But what exactly is Cinco de Mayo? And is it, well, Mexican? Calling Cinco de Mayo a Mexican celebration is a bit like calling a regional anniversary day a national holiday. The festival originally commemorated a small victory by the Mexican army, over a Goliath-like battalion of invading French soldiers in 1862. Though this win was evanescent, and fighting between Mexico and France would continue for five more years, Puebla to this day marks the occasion with festivities, including a reenactment of the battle. Throughout the rest of Mexico, the holiday is not widely observed. Its internationalisation, in fact, occurs via Mexican-Americans, and is a more precise descriptor of the Cinco de Mayo we celebrate here in NZ.