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Celebrate Cinco de Mayo With Vivid Images of Mexico in the 1960s

2 minute read

Ever since the celebration began to trickle eastward from California during the middle of the 20th century, Cinco de Mayo has been subject to several misconceptions in the United States. Many people mistakenly equate it with Mexico’s Independence Day, which actually takes place on September 16. Thanks largely to the marketing efforts of beer companies, many use it as an excuse to drink to excess while donning sombreros, the meaning behind the celebration of little consequence to revelers. But in reality, the holiday commemorates the Mexican army’s defeat of the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862, after which the heavily outnumbered Mexican forces’ victory over the well-equipped French invaders came to symbolize national unity and strength.

The holiday has evolved to more broadly celebrate Mexican heritage and culture, which LIFE featured in a 1968 photo essay by photographer John Dominis. Dominis was dispatched to Mexico ahead of the 1968 summer Olympics, which would bring many international travelers there. The photographs celebrated the country’s diverse ethnic makeup, its fiestas and its food, as well as its modernizing urban centers. They were, for many of LIFE’s readers, a first intimate glimpse into life south of the border, and one that presented the country’s richness of culture as worthy of admiration.

Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LizabethRonk.

Fiesta in Guanajuato.
Caption from LIFE. Fiesta in Guanajuato.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Park dancers in Mexico City.
Caption from LIFE. Park dancers in Mexico City.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Plaza singers in Vera Cruz.
Caption from LIFE. Plaza singers in Vera Cruz.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Indian of Morelia.
Caption from LIFE. Indian of Morelia.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Performers in Mexico.
Performers in Mexico.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
A wonders watcher.
Caption from LIFE. A wonders watcher.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
A mariachi band, Mexico.
A mariachi band, Mexico.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Incense bearer in Chiapas.
Caption from LIFE. Incense bearer in Chiapas.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
A young girl in Mexico.
A young girl in Mexico.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Market, Mexico City.
Caption from LIFE. Market, Mexico City.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Market children, San Miguel de Allende.
Caption from LIFE. Market children, San Miguel de Allende.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Lily seller, San Critóbal de las Casas.
Caption from LIFE. Lily seller, San Critóbal de las Casas.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Fruit stand, Mexico City.
Caption from LIFE. Fruit stand, Mexico City.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Hammock seller, Oaxaca.
Caption from LIFE. Hammock seller, Oaxaca.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Man with balloons, Mexico.
Man with balloons, Mexico.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Pinwheel display, Mexico City.
Caption from LIFE. Pinwheel display, Mexico City.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Hatful of onions, Vera Cruz.
Caption from LIFE. Hatful of onions, Vera Cruz.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Cambio de mayordomo.
Caption from LIFE. Cambio de mayordomo.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Unloading fowl, Oaxaca.
Caption from LIFE. Unloading fowl, Oaxaca.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Woman shelling corn in wicker hampers at a local market, Mexico.
Woman shelling corn in wicker hampers at a local market, Mexico.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Lunch on the Paseo de la Reforma.
Caption from LIFE. Lunch on the Paseo de la Reforma.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Couple in Chapultepec Park, Mexico City.
Caption from LIFE. Couple in Chapultepec Park, Mexico City.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

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Write to Eliza Berman at eliza.berman@time.com