In honor of Cinco de Mayo, restaurants are rolling out deals to help you celebrate. Cinco de Mayo falls on May 5 every year, and this year, it will fall on a Tuesday.
Cinco de Mayo, which is Spanish for May 5, has been used to celebrate Mexican-American heritage every year since the 1800s, according to National Day Calendar.
One of the biggest misconceptions about the annual celebration is that it is Mexican Independence Day, but it isn't. Mexican Independence Day actually falls on Sept. 16 and celebrates when the country gained its independence from Spain in 1810, according to National Today.
Instead, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla, when the Mexican Army beat the Second French Empire, led by Napoleon III, on May 5, 1862, according to USA TODAY's previous reporting.
The holiday commemorates the victory, which was celebrated across Mexico and the U.S., which was then in the midst of the Civil War.
