Cinco Ideas for Cinco de Mayo

This Saturday is Cinco de Mayo (where has April gone?!) so I wanted to share a few ideas for how to celebrate. I’ve taken four years of high school Spanish, and the teachers always remind us that Cinco de Mayo isn’t a real Mexican holiday. It celebrates the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla during the French-Mexican War. However, besides in the town of Puebla, not many Mexicans celebrate it (or at least, so I’m told). Rather, it’s an Americanized holiday used as an excuse to drink margaritas. 😉 But that’s enough history for one day! If people are going to celebrate, I figure we should get in on the fun too, so here are five ways to spend Cinco de Mayo this Saturday (that don’t involve alcoholic beverages).

Wear a fun and colorful outfit. Of course, the best way to celebrate any holiday is to dress accordingly. I’ve seen a lot of fashion bloggers traveling to Tulum or Cabo, and their Mexican style always involves bright colors, tassels, breezy fabrics, pom poms, and sandals. I tried my best to recreate that summery, resort vibe with items already in my closet. I bought this skirt way back in 2012 for my trip to Puerto Rico, and I can’t believe it still fits! I encourage you to wear flowy fabrics (a skirt or dress is probably best) with bright colors you wouldn’t usually think to put together. Just think of summer vibes and you’ll be good! (Unfortunately, these photos didn’t turn out quite so summery–it was a gloomy and windy day! Too bad the background is so drab…)

Watch Coco. If you want to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, mine as well celebrate Mexican heritage through a great movie. I first saw Coco in theaters when it came out (my Spanish teacher gave us extra credit to go see it) and I recently watched it again in Spanish class in its intended language. Not only is the movie super sweet, but it really captures the Mexican tradition through the holiday Dia de los Muertos. If you can’t vacation to Mexico in real life, this movie can transport you there. 🙂

Go to your local Saturday Market. If you’re like me, then you usually spend Saturdays at home in your PJs all day, either being lazy or doing chores/homework. This Saturday, try putting on some real clothes and going out to your local farmers’ market. Hopefully the weather will be nice, but I’m guessing there’ll be lots of people out and some delicious produce! Who knows, you might even discover some sort of special deal or sidewalk music performance to celebrate the holiday.

Make a mocktail and sip it on the porch. Who needs margaritas when you can make a mocktail instead? I’m allll about making fruity drink concoctions and serving them in colorful glasses. Usually I just use whatever juice is in my fridge, but you could look up a special recipe on Pinterest as well. My favorite is a third of a glass of La Croix sparkling water, a third of a glass Tropicana orange juice, and a third of a glass Newman’s Own lemonade/limeade. Top it off with a maraschino cherry (add some of the juice for a pretty red color) and a tiny umbrella to stir it before enjoying beneath the sunshine on your patio. 🙂

Cook your favorite Mexican dish. And of course, it wouldn’t be Cinco de Mayo without some crazy delicious Mexican food. All the Mexican restaurants in town will probably be packed, so you can skip the lines and make a cozy dish at home. Nachos, tacos, enchilidas, chile relleno, quesadillas—so many yummy choices!! Don’t forget chips and guac. 😉

I hope you enjoyed these ideas for celebrating this weekend! I have a busy Saturday planned already, so I’m not sure how many of these I’ll actually do. But you can bet I’ll eat some delicious Mexican food because I basically do that every day anyway. Have a great start to your week!

Miles of smiles,

Grace

White Tee: A.N.A. via JCPenney, $9 // White Peasant Skirt: Arizona via JCPenney, $20 // Brown Leaf Sandals: Carlos Santana via DSW, $45 // Aviator Sunglasses: Icing, $16 // Green Beaded Belt: JCrew, $25 // Orange Purse: Charming Charlie, $10