The modern American focus first started in California in the 1860s in response to the resistance to French rule in Mexico: Far up in the gold country town of Columbia (now Columbia State Park), Mexican miners were so overjoyed at the news that they spontaneously fired off rifles shots and fireworks, sang patriotic songs and made impromptu speeches. It’s been celebrated in California continuously since 1863, but Mexico doesn’t exactly give a shit - .-

Cinco de Mayo started to come into vogue in the 1940′s America during the rise of the Chicano movement, went into the rest of the US in the 50′s and 60′s but did not gain popularity until the 80′s when marketers, especially beer companies, capitalized on the celebratory nature of the day and began to promote it.

Since then, it grew in popularity and evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, so in the spirit of that let’s hear some Dutch guys sing Mexican folk songs: