It’s Cinco de Mayo, you guys! This holiday marks the 1862 Battle of Puebla, when France sent a giant army to invade Mexico to collect on war debts. The French army was far more powerful than the Mexican side, yet the Mexican soldiers pulled off an unexpected victory. On Cinco de Mayo, celebrants pay tribute to this victory while also honoring Mexican heritage and culture.

Here are some fun ways you can celebrate Cinco de Mayo—and perhaps introduce your favorite littles to a few Mexican traditions.

● Listen to mariachi music.

● Make a tasty snack with Mexican tortillas. Beef, chicken, or black-bean tacos are an obvious—and delicious!—choice, but kids may also like a simple and less-filling snack of a tortilla topped with melted cheese.

● Drop uncooked rice or popcorn into a small disposable plastic bottle. Put the cap back on and cover the bottle with masking tape. Decorate the tape with paint in the colors of Mexico’s flag—red, white, and green. You’ve made yourself a Mexican maraca!

● Read Mexico (cover below) from our Country Explorers series or Marco’s Cinco de Mayo (cover below) from our Cloverleaf Books Holidays and Special Days series.

              

Whatever you get up to, I hope you have a fun-filled day!