Holidays are fun. There’s no denying that getting to celebrate a day of the year for whatever reason makes for a swell time. However, the most fun holidays are those that involve drinking. Now, while you could make any holiday into an occasion for drinking, there are some holidays that are already known for boozing it up. Here are my top five:

1. Cinco de Mayo: Literally translating to “5^th of May,” this holiday celebrates the unlikely defeat of the French Army by the Mexican Army on May 5, 1862 at the Battle of Puebla. Contrary to some American’s belief, this is not the date of Mexico’s independence (that comes on September 16). Most people use this holiday as an excuse to drink mass amounts of tequila and eat Mexican food (which is why it is my personal favorite drinking holiday and tops the list).

2. St. Patrick’s Day: Originally celebrated as the Feast Day of Saint Patrick, this holiday did not have boozy origins. Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. He is well-known and celebrated for bringing Christianity to Ireland. Although this day falls during Lent, the eating and drinking restrictions are lifted for the day which has led to its growth as one of the top drinking holidays. A celebration of beer and whiskey, this day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival.

3. Independence Day aka July 4^th: This one is kind of a no-brainer. Fireworks, booze and ‘Merica that’s all that really needs to be said for July 4^th.

4. New Year's Eve: I’m not really sure why, but for some reason we all need copious amounts of alcohol to bring in a new year. I guess you could either say it’s because we are celebrating being alive another year or bracing ourselves to make another trip around the sun. I like to think it’s a little bit of both. Regardless, New Year’s Eve is always celebrated with drinks on drinks on drinks, most importantly champagne.

5. Mardi Gras: Although having never celebrated this particular holiday myself, it seems important enough to put it on the list. Translating to “Fat Tuesday,” Mardi Gras is the day before Ash Wednesday, which begins the Christian season of Lent. Lent is known for fasting and purifying oneself, so Mardi Gras is the last hoorah to overindulging.

While there may be other drinking holidays important to others, this list represents only my personal views. Any occasion can be a good one to grab an adult beverage and kick back with your friends and family, but the above list are dates that the entire country, and sometimes world, will be celebrating as well. Cheers!