OXFORD – On Saturday, May 2, from 5–7 p.m., the American Legion Auxiliary of Fort Hill Post 376 will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo with a special Mexican dinner.

Spanish for "fifth of May," this is a holiday that’s typically held on the fifth. However, this dinner will be held on the first Saturday which happens to be the second or “Segundo” of May.

Take-out dinners will be available from 4–5 p.m., and community members are invited to have a delicious “festivo” meal, listen to Mexican folk and mariachi music, participate in a Mexican basket raffle, and enjoy very colorful decorations – all while supporting the educational and charitable mission of the Oxford A.L. Auxiliary.

For those unaware, “Cinco de Mayo” is celebrated in both the U.S. and in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is called El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (English: The Day of the Battle of Puebla). It commemorates the Mexican army's victory over the French in 1862. The win helped Mexico establish a sense of national unity and patriotism. It also helped the U.S. because if the French had won, they planned to use Mexico as a base to help the Confederates win their battle against the United States during the Civil War.