Commemorative Spanish Vocabulary
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Cinco de Mayo commemorates Mexico’s victory over France during the Battle of Puebla in 1862, which stopped the French army’s advance into the country and unified Mexico.*
A few towns in Mexico recreate the battle every 5th of May, while a number of US cities celebrate the holiday with parades and parties featuring Mexcian food, music, and dancing. The holiday is not celebrated – in fact, is virtually unknown – in countries without sizeable Mexican populations.
| May 5th | Cinco de Mayo | |
| army | el ejército | |
| battle | una batalla | |
| cannon | el cañón | |
| costume | el disfraz | |
| culture | la cultura | |
| dancing | el baile | |
| fireworks | los fuegos artificiales | |
| flag | la bandera | |
| food | la comida | |
| the French | los franceses | |
| green | verde | |
| history | la historia | |
| music | la música | |
| outnumbered | superado en número | |
| parade | el desfile | |
| party | una fiesta | |
| patriotism | el patriotismo | |
| pride | el orgullo | |
| red | rojo | |
| reenactment | la representación | |
| soldier | el soldado | |
| tradition | la tradición | |
| tribute | el homenaje | |
| victory | la victoria | |
| war | la guerra | |
| white | blanco | |
| Verbs | ||
| to celebrate | celebrar | |
| to commemorate | conmemorar | |
| to defeat | vencer | |
| to expel | expulsar | |
| to fight | luchar | |
| to lead | comandar | |
| to unify | unificar | |
| to win | ganar |
* Cinco de Mayo celebrates this particular battle, though the final defeat and expulsion of the invading French army occurred 5 years later.
Cinco de Mayo is not the same thing as Mexican Independence Day (el Grito de Dolores), which is celebrated on 16 September.
Spanish listening practice
Related lessons
Spanish lesson plans
- What is Cinco de Mayo? (Lesson, K – 4th grade)
- Cinco de Mayo (Video, K – 5th grade)
- Cinco de Mayo Facts and Myths (Worksheet, 2nd-5th grade)
- Celebrating Cinco de Mayo Without Stereotypes (Article, 2nd-12th grade)
- Celebrate Cinco de Mayo (Lesson, 4th-6th grade)
- Cinco de Mayo Shopping Spree (Worksheet, 4th-6th grade)
- Cinco de Mayo (Worksheet, 4th-7th grade)
- Viva Cinco de Mayo (Worksheet, 4th-8th grade)
- What is Cinco de Mayo? (Lesson, 4th-8th grade)
- Cinco de Mayo Preguntas (Worksheet, 5th-7th grade)
- Cinco de Mayo (Lesson, 6th-12th grade)
- Cinco de Mayo (Worksheet, 12th – Higher Ed)
Spanish vocabulary for other holidays
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