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Cinco de Mayo Costumes for Fun and Tradition
Cinco de Mayo may be mostly a regional holiday in Mexico where it originated, but it is decidedly a nationwide celebration in the United States and is marked in one way or another in many other nations around the world. You will find parades, performance and a lot of other festive holiday events to choose from on this day; and whether it is a live performance of Mexican music or dance or a private Cinco de Mayo fiesta you will be spending this holiday at, one way to make things even more fun is by wearing Cinco de Mayo costumes. If you are thinking of dressing up for Cinco de Mayo this year, keep reading for a few ideas, which you may want to consider sporting this May 5th.
One look, which some people opt for, is a humorous one, with costumes designed to look like margaritas, tacos and other Mexican food and beverages. These sorts of costumes are available from novelty shops as well as costume stores and websites and if you would prefer to bring a smile and a chuckle to your fellow Cinco de Mayo revelers, these costumes are something you may want to give some thought to.
Perhaps you'd rather go with something a little more appropriate for the occasion and dress up in historically accurate (or close to it, anyway) Mexican or French military uniforms to give a nod to the historical roots of this holiday. Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of the Mexican victory over the French in the 1862 Battle of Puebla; not Mexico's independence day, as many mistakenly believe. If you are interested in these Cinco de Mayo costumes, you should be able to put something together by checking at your local shops.
Then there are some more traditional choices of Cinco de Mayo attire, such as a mariachi musician outfit. It's as simple as black trousers and a white shirt accessorized with a sombrero and a serape; and if you have a guitar or other instrument you can bring along to complete the mariachi look, all the better!
You could also decide for the classic look of a white blouse worn off the shoulder, long skirt, and sandals (obviously, this is one of the Cinco de Mayo costumes, which is more appropriate for women). Men can go with a Western wear such as cowboy boots, western shirts, and a cowboy hat along with a large belt buckle for an authentic vaquero (cowboy) look. There is also the very simple option of wearing a guayabera shirt for a casual, comfortable south of the border look.
No matter what kind of Cinco de Mayo costumes you choose to don this year, it is more about having fun and saluting our next door neighbors to the south than it is about clothes - and of course, enjoying delicious Mexican food and beverages on this popular holiday.
