154 Fun Facts About Cinco De Mayo

Within Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is a full day off work only in Puebla and which neighboring state?

Veracruz, Puebla's neighbor to the east, is the only other state where May 5 is a statutory day off; elsewhere in Mexico the day is mostly ceremonial, marked by military parades and battle reenactments.

In what year did the Battle of Puebla take place?

The battle was fought on May 5, 1862, outside Puebla; a year on, a larger French army took the city and marched into Mexico City.

Which two European powers joined France's 1861 Mexico expedition but pulled out before the fighting?

Britain and Spain signed the 1861 Convention of London with France but withdrew in April 1862, once it became clear France meant to overthrow the Mexican government rather than collect debts.

Who was the Mexican general who led the victory at the Battle of Puebla?

Ignacio Zaragoza was only 33 when he beat Lorencez's French force at Puebla on May 5, 1862; the state of Coahuila was later renamed Coahuila de Zaragoza in his honor.

Cinco de Mayo is often confused with which other holiday, the most important on Mexico's calendar?

Many outside Mexico mistake Cinco de Mayo for Mexican Independence Day, which marks the 1810 call to arms in Dolores; Cinco de Mayo instead commemorates a single battle against the French fought more than 50 years later.

When is Mexican Independence Day celebrated?

September 16 marks the 1810 call to arms in Dolores; every year on the night of the 15th the president rings the same bell from the National Palace balcony.

Which French emperor ordered the invasion of Mexico that led to the Battle of Puebla?

Napoleon III sent troops after Mexico suspended foreign debt payments in 1861, hoping to plant a French-aligned monarchy while the United States was busy with its Civil War; once that war ended, US pressure helped push the French out.

The Mexican general who won the Battle of Puebla was born in what is now which US state?

Ignacio Zaragoza was born in 1829 at Bahía del Espíritu Santo, a presidio town on the San Antonio River, when Texas was part of Mexico; a Texas state historic site marks his birthplace.

The word 'burrito' literally means what in Spanish?

Burrito is the diminutive of burro, Spanish for donkey, so it means little donkey; one popular theory says the name refers to the way a stuffed tortilla carries a load like a pack animal.

What is a piñata traditionally made of?

Traditional piñatas are made from a clay pot (olla) covered in papier-mâché and decorated with colorful tissue paper. Modern piñatas are often made entirely from cardboard and papier-mâché.

Which Mexican president was in power during the Battle of Puebla?

Benito Juárez was president of Mexico during the French intervention. He is celebrated as one of Mexico's greatest leaders for defending Mexican sovereignty and implementing liberal reforms.

Which Austrian archduke was installed as Emperor of Mexico in 1864 after French troops took the capital?

Archduke Maximilian accepted the Mexican crown in 1864 on the strength of a French-organised plebiscite; his empire collapsed once Napoleon III withdrew the French army.

Which US city's Fiesta Broadway has been billed as the largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in the world?

Fiesta Broadway, launched in downtown Los Angeles in 1990, closed off blocks of Broadway for a day of music and food and was billed as the largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in the world.

Mexico's Revolution Day, marking the 1910 uprising against Porfirio Díaz, falls in which month?

Since 2006 the holiday has been observed on the third Monday of November rather than on the 20th itself.

What is the main ingredient in traditional Mexican tamales?

Tamales are built on masa, a dough of ground lime-treated corn that is wrapped in husks or banana leaves and steamed; the Florentine Codex describes many varieties sold in Aztec markets.

What Mexican folk art tradition involves brightly painted carved wooden animal figures?

Alebrijes are brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical creatures. Originally created by Pedro Linares in the 1930s from papier-mâché, the Oaxacan wood-carved version became famous worldwide.

Which UNESCO-listed Mexican music uses trumpets, violins, vihuela and a big bass guitar?

Mariachi was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2011; a typical ensemble has two or more violins, trumpets, a guitar, a vihuela and a deep-bodied bass, and is rooted in western Mexico.

What Mexican holiday, celebrated November 1-2, honors deceased loved ones?

Día de los Muertos is observed on November 1 and 2; families build ofrendas with photos, sugar skulls and the favorite foods of the departed, and gather in cemeteries to clean and decorate graves.

Which Mexican artist, famed for unflinching self-portraits, painted Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird?

Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) is Mexico's most famous female artist, known for her deeply personal self-portraits. "The Two Fridas" (1939) depicts two versions of herself with exposed hearts connected by a vein.

What deep-bodied six-string bass anchors a traditional Mexican trumpet-and-violin ensemble?

The guitarrón, with its deep V-shaped back built from two angled pieces of wood, supplies the bass line in the ensemble; it inspired Ernie Ball's Earthwood acoustic bass guitar of 1972.

Which Mexican muralist's Rockefeller Center fresco was destroyed in 1934 over a portrait of Lenin?

Rivera had added Lenin after a newspaper called the work 'anti-capitalist propaganda'; only black-and-white photographs of the unfinished fresco survive.

What is the milky fermented drink made from the sap of the maguey agave?

Pulque is the milky, lightly alcoholic drink made by fermenting aguamiel, the sap tapped from the heart of the maguey agave; it was sacred to the Aztecs, who restricted it largely to elders and ritual occasions.

What is the legal difference between Mexico's Jalisco agave spirit and its smokier cousin?

All tequila is technically a mezcal, and mezcal is made from more than 30 agave species; the smoky taste comes from roasting the hearts in underground pits.

What is pozole?

Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup made with hominy (dried corn kernels treated with lime), meat (usually pork), and a rich broth flavored with chili peppers. It's often served for celebrations and holidays.

What ancient civilization built the pyramid of Chichén Itzá in Mexico?

The Maya of the Terminal Classic period built Chichén Itzá in the Yucatán; its Temple of Kukulcán won the worldwide vote in 2007.

What is the name of Mexican professional wrestling?

Lucha libre (Spanish for 'free fight') is Mexico's colorful professional wrestling tradition. Wrestlers, known as luchadores, are famous for their elaborate masks, which represent honor — losing a mask in a match is a great disgrace.

Which two Mexican states both claim to be the birthplace of mole?

Puebla and Oaxaca both claim mole: Puebla for mole poblano, the dark chile-and-chocolate sauce, and Oaxaca for its nickname 'land of the seven moles', from negro to amarillo.

Which orange flower's petals line the path to Mexican ofrendas so returning spirits can find their way?

Cempasúchil, the Mexican marigold, takes its name from the Nahuatl cempōhualxōchitl, 'twenty flowers'; its bright petals and scent are said to guide spirits to the ofrenda, and it is sometimes called flor de muerto.

How many points does the classic star-shaped Mexican piñata have, and what do they stand for?

The traditional piñata has 7 points, each representing one of the 7 deadly sins. Breaking the piñata symbolizes the triumph of good over evil, and the candy that falls represents divine rewards.

Mexico City sits at roughly what elevation above sea level?

Mexico City lies about 2,240 m (7,350 ft) above sea level on the floor of the Valley of Mexico, the former bed of Lake Texcoco, which is why parts of the city keep sinking.

What was the approximate size of the French army that was defeated at the Battle of Puebla?

Lorencez had already written to Paris that with his 6,000 men he was 'master of Mexico'; after the defeat he was dismissed and replaced by General Forey.

When UNESCO listed traditional Mexican cuisine in 2010, which state did it name as the 'paradigm'?

UNESCO's 2010 inscription is titled 'Traditional Mexican cuisine – ancestral, ongoing community culture, the Michoacán paradigm'; it describes a whole cultural model of farming, ritual and age-old technique rather than a set of dishes.

The town that gave tequila its name lies in which Mexican state?

Production is legally limited to Jalisco plus a handful of municipalities in Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit and Tamaulipas.

Who was the father of Mexican independence who issued the Grito de Dolores in 1810?

Hidalgo was betrayed and captured in March 1811, defrocked, and executed in Chihuahua; it was Iturbide, not he, who became Mexico's first head of state a decade later.

What was the name of the Aztec island capital in Lake Texcoco, taken by Cortés in 1521?

Its founding date is unknown; 13 March 1325 was simply chosen in 1925 so the city could celebrate a 600th anniversary. The Spanish built their own capital on its ruins.

What is a molinillo, the carved wooden tool spun between the palms in Mexican kitchens, used for?

Spinning it is the subject of a popular Mexican children's rhyme, and the same tool is used for atole and champurrado.

What ancient Mesoamerican process steeps corn in limewater to unlock its nutrition?

Nixtamalization, soaking corn in an alkaline limewater bath, frees niacin the body could not otherwise absorb, improves the protein and loosens the hulls so the kernels can be ground into masa.

Which Mexican city is famous for its blue-and-white Talavera pottery?

Puebla is renowned for its Talavera pottery, a tradition dating back to the 16th century when Spanish artisans brought the technique from Talavera de la Reina, Spain. Authentic Talavera can only be produced in Puebla and nearby Tlaxcala.

What happened to the Mexican general who won at Puebla just four months after the battle?

Ignacio Zaragoza died of typhoid fever in Puebla on 8 September 1862, aged 33; the city was renamed Puebla de Zaragoza within days of his death, and the state of Coahuila later followed.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico's great Marian shrine, stands below which hill?

Tepeyac's basilica draws some twenty million pilgrims a year, roughly nine million of them in the days around the December 12 feast.

What grain is Mexican horchata traditionally made from?

Mexican horchata is made from rice soaked and ground with cinnamon, then sweetened and served over ice; the Spanish original from Valencia uses tiger nuts (chufa) instead.

What is the traditional Mexican game of chance, played like bingo but with 54 illustrated cards?

Lotería's caller announces each card with a riddle or rhyme rather than a number.

Which sugary sticks, sold along Puebla's Calle de los Dulces, are the city's signature candy?

Camotes de Puebla are cylinders of cooked sweet-potato paste, sugar and fruit flavouring wrapped in wax paper; they are the best-known treat on the city's Calle de los Dulces, its street of sweet shops.

Which Mexican revolutionary, born José Doroteo Arango Arámbula, led the División del Norte?

Pancho Villa raised the División del Norte from Chihuahua and Durango during the 1910–1920 Revolution and remains a folk hero in Mexico.

The Battle of Puebla was decided at which two hilltop forts overlooking the city?

The French spent the afternoon of May 5, 1862 in repeated uphill assaults on Forts Loreto and Guadalupe, on the heights north of Puebla; every attack failed, the last in a rainstorm that turned the slopes to mud.

Which 1848 agreement ended the Mexican-American War and ceded over half of Mexico's territory?

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) ended the Mexican-American War. Mexico ceded California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming to the United States — about 55% of Mexico's territory.

The Mexican string cheese quesillo takes its better-known name from which state?

Quesillo is better known as queso Oaxaca, the stringy cheese from the Etla valley of Oaxaca; its pasta filata stretching method is said to have come with Dominican friars, and it is often confused with Chihuahua's asadero.

What is the significance of the eagle perched on a cactus eating a serpent on the Mexican flag?

The coat of arms on the Mexican flag depicts an Aztec legend. The god Huitzilopochtli told the Mexica people to build their city where they saw an eagle perched on a prickly pear cactus eating a serpent — which they found on an island in Lake Texcoco.

What year did Mexico finally gain independence from Spain?

Mexico's independence war ran from 1810 to 1821; it ended when the Army of the Three Guarantees marched into Mexico City, a month after Juan O'Donojú signed the Treaty of Córdoba.

Which future Mexican president fought at the Battle of Puebla as a young officer?

Díaz later ruled for three decades and turned the holiday into a nationwide celebration of his own power; observance faded after he was deposed in the Revolution.

In which California gold-country town were the first Cinco de Mayo celebrations held, in 1862?

Columbia, in California's Tuolumne County, is credited with the first US celebration: on hearing the news in late May 1862, Mexican miners there fired rifles and fireworks, sang, and made impromptu speeches.

On what date did Benito Juárez suspend all foreign debt payments for two years?

On July 17, 1861 Juárez's government suspended foreign debt payments for two years; France, Spain and Britain answered with the Convention of London later that year and a naval expedition to Veracruz.

A Paloma pairs tequila with soda of which fruit?

A Paloma is tequila topped with grapefruit soda such as Squirt or Jarritos Toronja, usually with a squeeze of lime and a salted rim; its name is Spanish for dove.

How many troops did France bring back a year later to take Puebla and Mexico City?

France sent about 30,000 men under a new commander in 1863; they besieged Puebla that spring, entered Mexico City in June, and that second campaign installed Maximilian as emperor.

How long did Maximilian's reign as Emperor of Mexico last?

Maximilian's reign lasted three years, from his arrival at Veracruz in May 1864 until his capture at Querétaro in May 1867.

Which US secretary of state insisted French withdrawal from Mexico be unconditional?

William H. Seward, secretary of state under Lincoln and Johnson, pressed Napoleon III for an unconditional withdrawal; after the Civil War the US also let money and guns reach the Mexican Liberals.

Which historian argued that a French win at Puebla could have aided the Confederacy?

Justo Sierra wrote in his Political Evolution of the Mexican People that, had the French not been stopped at Puebla, France would have gone to the aid of the Confederacy.

How many days after the battle did Juárez declare its anniversary a national holiday?

Four days after the battle, on May 9, 1862, Juárez decreed the anniversary a national holiday, Battle of Puebla Day.

Under which ruler's regime did Mexico's own Cinco de Mayo celebrations peak?

He had fought at Puebla and turned the day into a celebration of his own power.

Which two international festivals does the host city stage around the anniversary?

Parades feature participants dressed as French and Mexican soldiers.

Where in Mexico City is a military commemoration of the battle occasionally held?

Campo Marte, the army parade ground beside Chapultepec park, occasionally hosts a military commemoration; Juárez also named Avenida Cinco de Mayo in the Historic Center after the battle in 1862.

Which San Francisco Spanish-language paper reported the 1862 California celebration?

It published detailed accounts of the battle for California's Mexican community.

What were the political groups Mexican Americans formed in California to fund Juárez called?

The Juntas Patrióticas Mejicanas raised money for Juárez's republic and staged the early Cinco de Mayo commemorations; Hayes-Bautista traced a network of them across California and the West.

How many Juntas Patrióticas eventually existed to support Juárez, per Wikipedia?

Speakers used the Battle of Puebla as a rallying cry for democracy.

Which two cities held the first organised Cinco de Mayo commemorations in 1863?

They featured parades, speakers and music.

What did the Ladies' Patriotic Assembly of Sonora, formed by 45 women in 1863, do?

Sonora, California, was founded by miners from Sonora, Mexico, next door to Columbia.

Which author wrote El Cinco de Mayo: An American Tradition?

David E. Hayes-Bautista's El Cinco de Mayo: An American Tradition (2012) argues the holiday's modern form was made by Latinos in Civil War-era California, not in Mexico.

According to Time, the holiday came into vogue in 1940s America during the rise of what?

Time wrote that Cinco de Mayo 'started to come into vogue in 1940s America during the rise of the Chicano Movement'; it spread beyond California in the 1950s and 60s and boomed with 1980s advertising.

A 1998 study counted more than 120 official US Cinco de Mayo celebrations in how many states?

The 1998 Journal of American Culture study found more than 120 official celebrations across 21 states; a 2006 update put the number of official events at 150 or more.

How big were Fiesta Broadway's crowds at its 1990s peak?

At its 1990s peak Fiesta Broadway drew 500,000 or more people to downtown Los Angeles; attendance later fell sharply as the event shrank.

Near which historic Los Angeles thoroughfare are annual baile folklórico and mariachi shows held?

Olvera Street, the Mexican marketplace at El Pueblo de Los Ángeles Historical Monument where the city was founded in 1781, hosts baile folklórico and mariachi shows for the day.

How much beer did Americans buy for Cinco de Mayo in 2013, per Nielsen?

Nielsen put American beer purchases for Cinco de Mayo 2013 at more than $600 million, beating both the Super Bowl and St. Patrick's Day.

Which newspaper called Cinco de Mayo 'an American holiday with Mexican roots' in 2023?

The May 4 article argued it is not necessarily a Mexican holiday at all.

What was the name of the Mexican army Zaragoza commanded at Puebla?

Zaragoza commanded the Army of the East (Ejército de Oriente), which he took over early in 1862 after resigning as Juárez's minister of war; it held Puebla's forts on May 5.

Which Caribbean territory holds an annual Cinco de Mayo air guitar competition?

Montego Bay in Jamaica also holds a celebration.

Which Australian city holds an annual Mexican Festival to mark the day?

Brisbane, Australia holds an annual Mexican Festival to mark the day; celebrations are also held in London, New Zealand, Cape Town, Lagos and Paris.

Where in Tokyo is Cinco de Mayo celebrated as a festival of Latin American culture?

Tokyo's Yoyogi Park hosts a Cinco de Mayo festival of Latin American food and music each spring; Osaka hosts a celebration too.

To which town did the French retreat after failing to storm Puebla's forts?

Lorencez pulled his army back to Orizaba, on the road to Veracruz, and waited there for reinforcements from France; the Mexican attempt to dislodge him at Cerro del Borrego that June failed.

Which French commander later took Puebla after Lorencez was dismissed?

Élie Frédéric Forey commanded the reinforced army that besieged and took Puebla in May 1863 and was made a Marshal of France that July; Bazaine then replaced him as commander.

Which power's fleet occupied Veracruz first, on December 14, 1861?

Spain's fleet from Cuba, under General Gasset, reached Veracruz on December 14, 1861 and occupied the port; the French and British forces did not arrive until January 7, 1862.

Which Spanish general issued a January 1862 manifesto denying plans to conquer Mexico?

Juan Prim, commanding the Spanish contingent, issued the January 1862 manifesto saying the three powers merely wanted to negotiate their damage claims; he led Spain's withdrawal that April.

Which Mexican foreign minister negotiated with the allied commissioners in January 1862?

Manuel Doblado, Juárez's foreign minister, met the allied commissioners at La Soledad in early 1862 and let their troops move inland to healthier towns such as Orizaba while talks continued.

Which pro-invasion Mexican general issued a manifesto of 'benevolent' intentions in April 1862?

Juan Almonte, a conservative who returned with the French, issued the manifesto; the invaders later made him head of the provisional regency in 1863.

Which historian said Lorencez lacked the men and artillery for anything but a risky storming?

Almonte and Haro y Tamariz had advised bypassing Puebla altogether.

Which general's division occupied the Guadalupe and Loreto forts on May 4, 1862?

Miguel Negrete's division held the Guadalupe and Loreto forts and took the brunt of the French assaults; he later served briefly as governor of Puebla and as Minister of War.

What kind of French troops formed the main attack columns at Puebla?

Two battalions of Zouaves, the French light infantry in baggy trousers and fezzes, set down their packs at the foot of the hill and led the assault on Fort Guadalupe.

For how long did the French shell the forts before the first infantry assault?

A strong column then advanced on Fort Guadalupe from the north.

Under cover of which crop did the Mexican cavalry lie in wait during the French ascent?

The infantry sheltered there too, firing on the climbing French.

How many failed uphill attacks did the French make on May 5, 1862?

The French made three assaults on the forts and all three were thrown back; the last came in a storm of rain that turned the slopes to mud and ended the fighting by evening.

At what hour did the French finally return to their camp at Los Alamos?

They marched back to Orizaba on the 8th.

What did Congress award General Zaragoza after the victory?

The city itself was renamed Puebla de Zaragoza.

What did President Juárez do with the captured medals and prisoners Zaragoza sent him?

It was a magnanimous gesture toward an enemy that would soon return in force.

Which liberal general did the collaborator Taboada try to lure to the French side after Puebla?

O'Horán refused, fought in the 1863 siege, but eventually defected to the Empire.

On what date did the French win the Second Battle of Puebla?

The capital fell soon after and Juárez's government fled north.

Which US president's Latin America approach is credited with popularising Cinco de Mayo in the 1950s?

The article compares the holiday's evolution to that of St. Patrick's Day.

On what date does Mexico observe the culmination of its 11-year War of Independence?

The Cry of Dolores that began the war is marked on 16 September.

How many men did Ignacio Zaragoza's army number at Puebla, per Wikipedia?

They faced a 5,730-strong French force.

Zaragoza's birthplace, Bahía del Espíritu Santo, is now which Texas town?

The town is better known for the 1836 Goliad massacre.

The Spanish fort at Zaragoza's birthplace, Presidio La Bahía, is owned by which body?

Presidio La Bahía belongs to the Catholic Diocese of Victoria, which runs it as a museum; it was restored in the 1960s and made a National Historic Landmark in 1967.

The losing French general Lorencez was a relative of which royal?

He later commanded a division of similar size in the Franco-Prussian War.

What was France's first Mexican intervention, in 1838-39, nicknamed?

The Pastry War took its name from a French pastry cook whose shop near Mexico City had been looted; France bombarded Veracruz in 1838 over such claims, making the 1861-67 conflict the Second Franco-Mexican War.

Maximilian was the younger brother of which emperor?

Maximilian was the younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria; he had commanded the small Austrian navy and served as viceroy of Lombardy-Venetia before accepting the Mexican crown.

On what date was Maximilian executed?

Maximilian was shot on 19 June 1867 at the Cerro de las Campanas outside Querétaro, alongside generals Miramón and Mejía; Juárez refused every plea for clemency.

Which French painter made three paintings of Maximilian's execution?

Manet had Republican sympathies and modelled the firing squad on French uniforms.

From which residence near Trieste did Maximilian sail for Mexico?

Maximilian left Miramare Castle, the seaside residence he had built near Trieste, in April 1864 aboard SMS Novara, the ship of Austria's first circumnavigation.

Which colonel betrayed Querétaro by opening a gate to Republican forces in 1867?

Colonel Miguel López, a favourite of Maximilian, let Escobedo's republican troops through the La Cruz convent position on 15 May 1867; the emperor surrendered that morning.

Empress Carlota was the only daughter of which king?

Carlota, born Princess Charlotte of Belgium in 1840, was the only daughter of Leopold I, first king of the Belgians, which made Queen Victoria her first cousin.

Where in Belgium did Carlota spend her final 48 years?

Carlota lived at Bouchout Castle in Meise, north of Brussels, from 1879 until her death in 1927 aged 86, having outlived her husband by sixty years.

Why is the Cerro de las Campanas, site of Maximilian's execution, so named?

The Cerro de las Campanas, Hill of the Bells, takes its name from the bell-like ring its volcanic rocks give off when struck; the hill in Querétaro is now a national park.

How old was Miramón when he disputed the presidency with Juárez during the Reform War?

Miguel Miramón was just 27 when the conservatives made him president in February 1859, the youngest in Mexico's history; he was also the first president born after independence.

Which mountain range did the Otomi general Tomás Mejía repeatedly use as his base?

Tomás Mejía, an Otomi from Pinal de Amoles, repeatedly fell back on the Sierra Gorda of Querétaro, whose mountain people followed him; he was shot beside Maximilian at Querétaro.

How many legionnaires held out at the Battle of Camarón in April 1863?

Captain Jean Danjou's 65 men of the 3rd Company held the Hacienda Camarón against some 2,000 Mexican troops for most of 30 April 1863; Camerone Day is the Legion's annual feast.

What relic of Captain Danjou does the French Foreign Legion venerate?

He died in the eleven-hour last stand at Camarón.

The Convention of London committing France, Spain and Britain to act was signed on which date?

Britain, France and Spain signed the Convention of London on 31 October 1861, agreeing to seize Veracruz's customs house; the United States, mired in civil war, could not enforce the Monroe Doctrine.

The Reform War is also known by what other name?

The Reform War is also called the Three Years' War (Guerra de los Tres Años): it ran from December 1857 to January 1861 between liberals and conservatives over the 1857 Constitution.

Puebla ranks where among Mexico's largest cities?

Puebla's metropolitan area, which spills into Tlaxcala, is Mexico's fourth largest; only Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey are bigger.

Roughly how far is Puebla from Mexico City?

Puebla lies roughly 100 km (about 65 miles) southeast of Mexico City, on the main route from the capital to the port of Veracruz.

In what year was Puebla's historic centre named a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

Its architecture ranges from Renaissance to Mexican Baroque.

What is Puebla's nickname, derived from its colonial name?

Angelópolis, city of angels, comes from the colonial name Puebla de los Ángeles; legend says angels laid out the city's grid in a bishop's dream.

Puebla Cathedral was consecrated in which year, ahead of Mexico City's?

Puebla Cathedral was consecrated in 1649 by Bishop Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, years before the capital's Metropolitan Cathedral was dedicated; its towers are among the tallest in Mexico.

The Great Pyramid of Cholula, near Puebla, is the world's largest pyramid by what measure?

Cholula's pyramid is the largest by volume at about 4.45 million cubic metres, nearly twice Giza's Great Pyramid; it is far lower than Giza but roughly 400 metres on a side.

What did the Spanish build on top of the Cholula pyramid in 1594?

The Spanish built a church, Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, on the summit in 1594; the pyramid was already so overgrown that they took it for a natural hill.

What is the Nahuatl name of the Cholula pyramid, meaning 'constructed mountain'?

Tlachihualtepetl means 'constructed mountain' in Nahuatl; the adobe-brick structure measures about 4.45 million cubic metres.

Popocatépetl, which looms over Puebla, is Mexico's second-highest peak at what height?

Popocatépetl rises to 5,393 m; only Pico de Orizaba, at 5,636 m, is taller, and the twin Iztaccíhuatl comes third at about 5,230 m.

What is the high saddle linking Popocatépetl to its twin Iztaccíhuatl called?

The Paso de Cortés, at about 3,600 m, is the saddle between Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl that Cortés's army crossed in 1519 on its way to Tenochtitlán; both volcanoes sit in Izta-Popo Zoquiapan National Park.

Which car was built at Volkswagen's Puebla plant until 2003?

The last original Beetle rolled off the Puebla line on 30 July 2003, ending production of a car launched in 1938; the plant went on to build the New Beetle and the Jetta.

Which drive-through animal park lies about 17 km from Puebla?

Africam Safari, a drive-through park at Valsequillo about 17 km from Puebla, was founded in 1972 by Captain Carlos Camacho Espíritu, a former pilot.

Mole poblano is traditionally served over which bird?

Mole poblano is classically ladled over turkey (guajolote), the bird domesticated in Mesoamerica; the sauce blends several dried chiles with spices, nuts, seeds and a little chocolate.

According to legend, who improvised mole poblano when an archbishop came to visit?

Legend credits the nuns of Puebla's Santa Rosa convent, led by Sor Andrea de la Asunción, who threw together nuts, chiles, spices, day-old bread and a little chocolate for the archbishop's visit.

Chiles en nogada were reputedly first made to entertain which future emperor of Mexico?

Legend says nuns of Puebla's Santa Mónica convent created chiles en nogada in August 1821 for Agustín de Iturbide, who had just signed the Treaty of Córdoba on his way to Mexico City.

What are chiles en nogada topped with besides the walnut cream sauce?

Chiles en nogada are finished with pomegranate seeds and parsley over the walnut cream, giving the red and green of the flag; the poblano chiles are stuffed with a fruit-laced picadillo.

What is a cemita, Puebla's signature sandwich, served on?

A cemita is built on a sesame-seed egg roll of the same name; fillings usually include avocado, meat, Oaxaca cheese, pápalo herb and chipotle.

Tacos al pastor, which originated in Puebla, derive from which immigrant dish?

Tacos al pastor descend from the lamb shawarma that Lebanese immigrants brought to Puebla in the early 1900s; Mexicans swapped in pork with an adobada marinade and added pineapple.

What does the Nahuatl word āhuacamōlli, root of 'guacamole', literally mean?

It combines āhuacatl (avocado) and mōlli (sauce).

Which Dallas socialite is said to have invented the tequila-and-lime cocktail at her Acapulco home in 1948?

Margarita Sames claimed to have mixed the drink for guests at her Acapulco house in 1948, though a 'Tequila Daisy' was already mentioned in a Syracuse newspaper in 1936; margarita is Spanish for daisy.

Which liqueur joins tequila and lime in a classic margarita?

A classic margarita is tequila, lime juice and triple sec, an orange liqueur such as Cointreau, shaken and served in a salt-rimmed glass.

Which company is Corona's exclusive importer in the United States?

Constellation Brands holds the US rights to Corona, Modelo and Pacífico; AB InBev had to sell them in 2013 to win antitrust approval for its takeover of Grupo Modelo.

Which Mexican beer overtook Bud Light as the top US seller by retail dollars in May 2023?

Modelo Especial passed Bud Light as America's best-selling beer by retail dollars in May 2023 in NielsenIQ data, after Bud Light's sales collapsed in a boycott that spring.

Which flower featured in most Grupo Modelo advertising until the 1960s?

The brewer's export brands include Corona, Modelo and Pacífico.

Which Miami street party was Los Angeles' Fiesta Broadway modelled on?

Fiesta Broadway was launched in 1990 on the model of Miami's Calle Ocho Festival, the Little Havana street party held each March.

How many blocks did Fiesta Broadway span at its peak?

At its peak Fiesta Broadway covered 36 blocks of downtown Los Angeles; it later shrank to a few blocks around 1st Street and Broadway.

What is the national dance of Mexico, often called the Mexican hat dance?

The Jarabe Tapatío, from Guadalajara (whose people are called tapatíos), began as a 19th-century courtship dance; Anna Pavlova added it to her repertoire after touring Mexico in 1919.

What outfit do female dancers traditionally wear for the Mexican hat dance?

Women dance the jarabe in the china poblana outfit, a sequinned skirt with embroidered blouse; the man, dressed as a charro, tosses his sombrero to the floor and she dances around its brim.

Who won the Battle of Barranca Seca on 18 May 1862, less than two weeks after Puebla?

The result left Juan Almonte as the sole reactionist commander-in-chief.

For roughly how many hours did the legionnaires hold out at the Hacienda Camarón in 1863?

Danjou's company held the hacienda for nearly eleven hours, surrounded by around 2,000 Mexican troops, and refused repeated calls to surrender; the last handful of men made a bayonet charge.

Which independence hero was the natural father of pro-French general Juan Almonte?

Juan Almonte was the natural son of José María Morelos, the priest-general of the independence war; Almonte served as minister of war, diplomat and finally regent of the empire.

Between which dates in 1863 did General Miguel Negrete serve as governor of Puebla?

He went on to be Minister of War and Navy from March 1864 to August 1865.

In which state was Felipe Berriozábal, who reinforced the hills at Puebla, born?

The engineer-general later served Juárez as Secretary of War and of Marine.

What is the Nahuatl name of the city of Puebla?

Cuetlaxcoapan, 'where serpents shed their skin', was the Nahuatl name of the valley where the Spanish founded Puebla in 1531; the city's formal title is Heroica Puebla de Zaragoza.

Which sixteenth-century Spanish king founded Puebla Cathedral?

Philip II of Spain founded Puebla Cathedral; the Herrerian-style building was consecrated in 1649.

Zaragoza's mother was a relative of which famous Tejano family of Texas history?

María de Jesús Seguín was a niece of Erasmo Seguín and cousin of Juan Seguín; Zaragoza was born in what is now Goliad, Texas.

Why did Zaragoza's brother stand in for him at his 1857 wedding in Monterrey?

He married Rafaela Padilla de la Garza by proxy; she died in January 1862, just months before Puebla.

Which industry's marketers are credited with driving Cinco de Mayo's US popularity from the 1980s?

The holiday had spread from California in the 1950s and 60s but only boomed once advertisers capitalised on its festive nature.

In which resort town does Jamaica hold a Cinco de Mayo celebration?

Montego Bay, Jamaica's main resort town, holds a Cinco de Mayo celebration; other far-flung ones include Cape Town, Lagos, Paris and Osaka.