Cinco de Mayo · Worksheet 1
The Day a Small Army Won
Read the story. 英文を読もう。
1Many people in the United States think May 5 is Mexico's birthday. But that is not true. Mexico's Independence Day is September 16. Cinco de Mayo means May 5 in Spanish, and it remembers a famous battle.
2In 1861, Mexico did not have enough money to pay its debts. So France sent a strong army to take control of the country. About 6,000 French soldiers marched toward the city of Puebla. They were sure they would win in one day. But a smaller Mexican army was waiting on two hills above the city. Its leader, General Ignacio Zaragoza, was only 33 years old.
3The fight started around noon on May 5. Again and again, the French ran up the hills, and again and again, they fell back. By evening, they gave up and walked away. Zaragoza sent a short message to the president: Our army is covered in glory. But the war was not over. One year later, a much bigger French army came back and took Mexico City.
4So why is Cinco de Mayo so big in the United States? The news of the battle reached California about three weeks later. Mexican people there were very happy, and they started to hold parties every year. In the 1960s and 1970s, young Mexican Americans used the day to show pride in their culture. Later, in the 1980s, beer companies made big ads for it.
5Today, cities like Los Angeles and Chicago have parades with mariachi bands and bright dresses. People eat tacos and guacamole. In Puebla, thousands of students and soldiers march through the streets. And in Japan, May 5 is also Children's Day, so you can celebrate two holidays at once.
- battle 戦い、戦闘
- army 軍隊、陸軍
- debt 借金
- independence 独立
- general 将軍
- march 行進する、進軍する
- glory 栄光、ほまれ
- pride 誇り、プライド
- culture 文化
- celebrate 祝う
- ad 広告
- parade パレード、行進