Cinco de Mayo

Hello there. My name is Ignacio Zaragoza, and I am a general in Mexico. I love my country very much. It is a beautiful place with warm sunshine, colorful buildings, and happy music. One day, a big surprise came to our home. A very large army from a country far, far away called France sailed across the big blue ocean on many ships. They wanted to take over our land. Seeing so many soldiers made me feel a little worried in my tummy. But I knew I had to be strong and brave for my country and all my friends. I stood up tall and decided I would protect my wonderful home, no matter what.

That important day was May 5th, in the year 1862. We were in a special city called Puebla. The other army was much, much bigger than our army. They had many more soldiers and fancy uniforms. My army was smaller, but our hearts were very big and very brave. I looked at all my soldiers and told them, 'You are the first sons of Mexico. We must stand together like a strong family.' And that is just what we did. We worked as a team, helping each other and standing side-by-side. We showed so much courage that the bigger army was surprised. After a lot of trying, they turned around and went away. We couldn't believe it. We had protected our home.

We did it. We kept our city safe. Everyone in Puebla began to cheer and shout with joy. It was a very happy day filled with hugs and smiles. That is why, every year on Cinco de Mayo, which means the 5th of May, people celebrate. They have parades, play happy music, dance, and eat lots of yummy food. It is a special day to remember that even if you feel small, you can do big things when you are brave and work together with your friends. Our victory showed everyone how strong the people of Mexico truly are.