For more than 100 years, the fifth of May has been a day to celebrate Mexican culture. Today, there is perhaps no single day in which Latino culture is more visible in the US.

Even those who have never felt a Spanish word pass through their lips herald the day as Cinco de Mayo. While many may not know the holiday's origins, everyone can understand its value. We break down the holiday's significance and history.

Battle of Puebla

Mexico was a troubled country in 1862. The French and British had been stationed in Veracruz to collect tariffs from the Mexican government under Benito Juarez.

After the 1848 Mexican-American War and a Mexican civil war from 1857-62, Mexico could not repay its foreign debts. Across the Atlantic, Napoleon III of France fancied a Mexican Empire. Naturally, he invaded.

However, he was stopped during his march to Mexico City, at least for a while, at the Battle of Puebla on Cinco de Mayo.

Re-enactment of the Battle of Puebla in Mexico City

Then and Now

Initial celebrations of Cinco de Mayo honored the Mexican victory at Puebla, however, through the years the holiday — only regionally celebrated in Mexico — has taken on a new, expanded meaning.

University of the Incarnate Word history professor Gilberto Hinojosa says Cinco de Mayo is an occasion to celebrate Mexican culture without a link to Mexican nationality.

Hence, the holiday is for everyone, not just one group — not unlike St. Patrick's Day, typically associated with Ireland but celebrated universally in the United States. Behind the brightly clad partygoers and margaritas, Cinco de Mayo provides a day of unity, and today there are more reasons to celebrate than ever.

In a 2012 study, the Pew Research Hispanic Center referred to the Hispanic electorate as "an awakened giant."

Latino politicians, including San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro, are finding themselves at center stage more often, and on both sides of the aisle. Whether conservative or liberal, the Latino voice is more audible than ever.

Celebrating Culture

Even though the Battle of Puebla was 151 years ago, the evolution of Cinco de Mayo has made the holiday more relevant than ever, especially in a nation with an exploding Latino population growing in both size and influence at every level.

"It is a holiday for everyone," Hinojosa says. "I'm always interested in how culture is constructed. People use holidays to build identity, to create a sense of unity."