Five Things To Know About Cinco de Mayo

We'll be celebrating Cinco de Mayo today in South Jersey and around the country, as we do every May 5th. But many of those enjoying  guacamole and downing margaritas do not know quite what Cinco de Mayo is.

1- Cinco de Mayo is often confused with Mexico’s Independence Day, which is Sept. 16.

2- In Mexico, the holiday is called El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (The Day of the Battle of Puebla) and Puebla hosts a battle reenactment each year. The holiday is celebrated in the state of Puebla, but not widely commemorated elsewhere in Mexico.

3- Guacamole is a really big deal today, with the California Avocado Commission estimating that Americans use around 87 million pounds of the green fruit in their Cinco de Mayo meals.

4- 33.6 million U.S. residents come from Mexican heritage, according to the United States Census.

5- Americans spend about $2.9 billion annually on margaritas, which account for about 14 percent of the country’s cocktail sales. This year's skyrocketing lime costs now make the lime juice in the drink more costly than the tequila. Cinco de Mayo is the biggest day for margarita sales.