Your Guide to Celebrating Cinco De Mayo

Happy May! We’re almost half way through spring and—despite some April snow showers—it’s definitely getting warmer. More sun and less rain make this month great for spending time outdoors. May also happens to begin with a holiday, so you can kick off the start of warmer weather with a celebration.

While Cinco De Mayo celebrates the anniversary of a battle victory in Mexico, the holiday is more a celebration of Mexican culture here in the United States. In preparation of Cinco De Mayo, we’ve planned a fiesta.

This post takes you through all the steps to host a festive celebration. It’ll give you ideas for decorations, food, and activities—all you have to do is put it into action for a simple Cinco De Mayo party.

Decorations

It’s easy to find decorations for a Cinco De Mayo fiesta—any Party City® you go to will have a section. They even have a Papel Picado Banner, which is a staple decoration for Cinco De Mayo celebrations.

Though you could buy it, we’ve created a banner design for this traditional decoration. Just save the photo directly above this section and print to create your own banner. After you’ve cut the designs out, string it together and hang it up to adorn your party with a colorful papel picado. 

Food

The most important detail of any party is your choice of food. Have a little fun and put together a taco bar for your friends. They can pick and choose what they want and all you have to do is get the ingredients ready.

You can offer any ingredients that sound good to you, but I’ve put together a short list for your convenience:

• Shredded Mexican-style four cheese blend
• Guacamole
• Sour cream
• Diced tomatoes
• Salsa
• Chicken
• Steak or beef
• Sliced jalapeños
• Shredded lettuce
• Taco seasoning
• Grilled veggies (like peppers & onions)

Be sure to have some rice and beans available as well for a universal side. Your food selection also wouldn’t be complete without dessert. You can find some great recipes online for traditional desserts like tres leches cake and sopapillas, or you can follow the recipe below to make a delicious flan for your friends.

Ingredients
1 cup sugar   

4 eggs

14 ounces condensed milk

12 ounces evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a round baking dish.
2. Pour sugar into a small saucepan. Melt the sugar over medium heat until it is liquified and golden.
3. Slowly pour the melted sugar into the baking dish. Make sure the bottom and sides of the dish are evenly coated.
4. In a mixing bowl whisk together eggs, condensed milk, and evaporated milk.
5. Slowly whisk the vanilla extract into the mixture.
6. Pour the mixture into the baking dish.
7. Bake in the oven for 1 hour. When finished, remove and let cool.
8. To serve place the baking dish upside down on a plate and slowly lift to remove the flan. Enjoy!

Activities 

Now that you’ve covered food and decorations, it’s time to plan some party games. No Cinco De Mayo fiesta is complete without a piñata.

It may seem more like a kid’s activity, but I guarantee adults will get a kick out of it. Consider making your own piñata—you only need a few materials. 

Materials

Balloon (can be any shape or size)

Old newspaper

Scissors

Paste

Glue

Crepe paper

String

Directions

1. Inflate your balloon, assuming you’re not using a store bought one.
2. Cut the newspaper into strips. Pour the paste into a bowl.
3. Place one side of the newspaper strip in the paste and attach to the balloon. Repeat this until the balloon is covered in newspaper. Leave the balloon’s knot uncovered. Let the piñata dry completely after this step. It may take a couple days.
4. When dry, glue strips of colorful crepe paper to the piñata. Leave the balloon’s knot uncovered in this step as well.
5. Pop the balloon if it’s still intact and remove the uncovered knot and balloon pieces. This should leave a small hole in the piñata. Make this opening bigger if necessary, and then fill your piñata.
6. Cover up the opening with tape or a small piece of cardboard.
7. Attach a string and securely hang the piñata up.

You can always buy a piñata as well, but papier-mâché is a fun craft. Some other party activities to consider include a chili pepper guessing game or doing some traditional Latin dances. Try the samba, a Mexican hat dance, or salsa!

Have a Fiesta 

With food, décor, games, and a piñata, you are prepared to host your Cinco De Mayo festivities. Your guests can enjoy the taco bar and dance to some traditional music while you can brag about your DIY skills.

Don’t forget about the free printable above to help with your decorations. Do you have any Cinco De Mayo plans or party ideas? Let us know in the comments!

Written and Published by Jessica – Writer at HMS Mfg. Co. for the Stola™ brand

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