Cinco de Mayo

[Rocio 0]

Just Another Gringo Holiday . . .

Not to put a damper on the festivities, but Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that is in fact more beloved by Americans than Mexicans. "I couldn't get over how it was a big holiday on one side of the border, the American side," commented a mystified Mexican student studying in El Paso.

One American traveler, after spending a lackluster Cinco de Mayo in central Mexico, learned from a shopkeeper that it was just "a gringo holiday made to sell Mexican beer to Americans."

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/cinco.html

[Jasman0717 9]

http://www.vivacincodemayo.org/history.htm

The 5th of May is not Mexican Independence Day, but it should be! And Cinco de Mayo is not an American holiday, but it should be. Mexico declared its independence from mother Spain on midnight, the 15th of September, 1810. And it took 11 years before the first Spanish soldiers were told and forced to leave Mexico.

So, why Cinco de Mayo? And why should Americans savor this day as well? Because 4,000 Mexican soldiers smashed the French and traitor Mexican army of 8,000 at Puebla, Mexico, 100 miles east of Mexico City on the morning of May 5, 1862.

The French had landed in Mexico (along with Spanish and English troops) five months earlier on the pretext of collecting Mexican debts from the newly elected government of democratic President (and Indian) Benito Juarez. The English and Spanish quickly made deals and left. The French, however, had different ideas.

Under Emperor Napoleon III, who detested the United States, the French came to stay. They brought a Hapsburg prince with them to rule the new Mexican empire. His name was Maximilian; his wife, Carolota. Napoleon's French Army had not been defeated in 50 years, and it invaded Mexico with the finest modern equipment and with a newly reconstituted Foreign Legion. The French were not afraid of anyone, especially since the United States was embroiled in its own Civil War.

The French Army left the port of Vera Cruz to attack Mexico City to the west, as the French assumed that the Mexicans would give up should their capital fall to the enemy -- as European countries traditionally did.

Under the command of Texas-born General Zaragosa, (and the cavalry under the command of Colonel Porfirio Diaz, later to be Mexico's president and dictator), the Mexicans awaited. Brightly dressed French Dragoons led the enemy columns. The Mexican Army was less stylish.

General Zaragosa ordered Colonel Diaz to take his cavalry, the best in the world, out to the French flanks. In response, the French did a most stupid thing; they sent their cavalry off to chase Diaz and his men, who proceeded to butcher them. The remaining French infantrymen charged the Mexican defenders through sloppy mud from a thunderstorm and through hundreds of head of stampeding cattle stirred up by Indians armed only with machetes.

When the battle was over, many French were killed or wounded and their cavalry was being chased by Diaz' superb horsemen miles away. The Mexicans had won a great victory that kept Napoleon III from supplying the confederate rebels for another year, allowing the United States to build the greatest army the world had ever seen. This grand army smashed the Confederates at Gettysburg just 14 months after the battle of Puebla, essentially ending the Civil War.

Union forces were then rushed to the Texas/Mexican border under General Phil Sheridan, who made sure that the Mexicans got all the weapons and ammunition they needed to expel the French. American soldiers were discharged with their uniforms and rifles if they promised to join the Mexican Army to fight the French. The American Legion of Honor marched in the Victory Parade in Mexico, City.

It might be a historical stretch to credit the survival of the United States to those brave 4,000 Mexicans who faced an army twice as large in 1862. But who knows?

In gratitude, thousands of Mexicans crossed the border after Pearl Harbor to join the U.S. Armed Forces. As recently as the Persian Gulf War, Mexicans flooded American consulates with phone calls, trying to join up and fight another war for America.

Mexicans, you see, never forget who their friends are, and neither do Americans. That's why Cinco de Mayo is such a party -- A party that celebrates freedom and liberty. There are two ideals which Mexicans and Americans have fought shoulder to shoulder to protect, ever since the 5th of May, 1862. VIVA! el CINCO DE MAYO!!

http://clnet.ucla.edu/cinco.html

In 1862, the French army began its advance. Under General Ignacio Zaragoza, 5,000 ill-equipped Mestizo and Zapotec Indians defeated the French army in what came to be known as the "Batalla de Puebla" on the fifth of May.

In the United States, the "Batalla de Puebla" came to be known as simply "5 de Mayo" and unfortunately, many people wrongly equate it with Mexican Independence which was on September 16, 1810, nearly a fifty year difference. Over, the years Cinco de Mayo has become very commercialized and many people see this holiday as a time for fun and dance. Oddly enough, Cinco de Mayo has become more of Chicano holiday than a Mexican one. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on a much larger scale here in the United States than it is in Mexico. People of Mexican descent in the United States celebrate this significant day by having parades, mariachi music, folklorico dancing and other types of festive activities.

Sounds like a good reason to eat lots of fattening food and drink lots and lots of fattening beer

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Sounds like a good reason to eat lots of fattening food and drink lots and lots of fattening beer

Damn suddenly I feel the need for a chicken quesadilla...

[Marilyn. 340]

http://www.mexonline.com/cinco.htm

Today's Celebration

For the most part, the holiday of Cinco de Mayo is more of a regional holiday in Mexico, celebrated most vigorously in the state of Puebla. There is some limited recognition of the holiday throughout the country with different levels of enthusiasm, but it's nothing like that found in Puebla.

Traditional Mexican dancers Celebrating Cinco de Mayo has become increasingly popular along the U.S.-Mexico border and in parts of the U.S. that have a high population of people with a Mexican heritage. In these areas the holiday is a celebration of Mexican culture, of food, music, beverage and customs unique to Mexico.

Commercial interests in the United States and Mexico have also had a hand in promoting the holiday, with products and services focused on Mexican food, beverages and festivities, with music playing a more visible role as well. Several cities throughout the U.S. hold parades and concerts during the week following up to May 5th, so that Cinco de Mayo has become a bigger holiday north of the border than it is to the south, and being adopted into the holiday calendar of more and more people every year.

[almaty 19]

Sounds like a good reason to eat lots of fattening food and drink lots and lots of fattening beer

Damn suddenly I feel the need for a chicken quesadilla...

and a bottle of corona

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Sounds like a good reason to eat lots of fattening food and drink lots and lots of fattening beer

Damn suddenly I feel the need for a chicken quesadilla...

and a bottle of corona

i hate corona

dos equis is better

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Not to put a damper on the festivities, but Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that is in fact more beloved by Americans than Mexicans.

As is the Octoberfest a much bigger event in the US than it is in Germany. Heck, most of Germany (all of it if one considers that Bavaria is not really German to begin with) doesn't even do an Octoberfest.

[Sister Fracas 5]

That's nothing Merc. Javier is from Mexico and he asks me all the time, "Why do Americans celebrate cinco de mayo?" All I can come up with is, it's just another excuse to drink.

same reason people celebrate St. Patrick's Day....because there are a lot of people who brought their homeland celebrations with them when they migrated....nothing wrong with that. I think it adds to the flavor of the country. I LOVE ethnic celebrations.

[Bootylicious!! 2]

Just Another Gringo Holiday . . .

Not to put a damper on the festivities, but Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that is in fact more beloved by Americans than Mexicans. "I couldn't get over how it was a big holiday on one side of the border, the American side," commented a mystified Mexican student studying in El Paso.

One American traveler, after spending a lackluster Cinco de Mayo in central Mexico, learned from a shopkeeper that it was just "a gringo holiday made to sell Mexican beer to Americans."

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/cinco.html

Just like I was saying earlier. Javier is from Puebla and he doesn't even celebrate. It's just another day for him. Just an excuse for Americans to drink beer. Bring on the beer.

[Sister Fracas 5]

Not to put a damper on the festivities, but Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that is in fact more beloved by Americans than Mexicans.

As is the Octoberfest a much bigger event in the US than it is in Germany. Heck, most of Germany (all of it if one considers that Bavaria is not really German to begin with) doesn't even do an Octoberfest.

but someone had to bring the celebrations with them in the first place....

[mercuryroad 0]

Just Another Gringo Holiday . . .

Not to put a damper on the festivities, but Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that is in fact more beloved by Americans than Mexicans. "I couldn't get over how it was a big holiday on one side of the border, the American side," commented a mystified Mexican student studying in El Paso.

One American traveler, after spending a lackluster Cinco de Mayo in central Mexico, learned from a shopkeeper that it was just "a gringo holiday made to sell Mexican beer to Americans."

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/cinco.html

Just like I was saying earlier. Javier is from Puebla and he doesn't even celebrate. It's just another day for him. Just an excuse for Americans to drink beer. Bring on the beer.

I'm sure Lucia will down some Cusquena in Peru in celebration.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Not to put a damper on the festivities, but Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that is in fact more beloved by Americans than Mexicans.

As is the Octoberfest a much bigger event in the US than it is in Germany. Heck, most of Germany (all of it if one considers that Bavaria is not really German to begin with) doesn't even do an Octoberfest.

but someone had to bring the celebrations with them in the first place....

Not necessarily. Maybe some silly folk just happened to travel to munich in October, got hammered and thought: Hey, that was fun! Let's do that at home, too.

[Bootylicious!! 2]

Right, or maybe, just maybe beer makers realized how much money they could make off of it and they decided to start advertising for these events. I think if you asked most Mexicans what they do for cinco de mayo, you would get a big nada. Yeah, they may recognize the holiday, but it's not celebrated like it is here.

[Sister Fracas 5]

Not to put a damper on the festivities, but Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that is in fact more beloved by Americans than Mexicans.

As is the Octoberfest a much bigger event in the US than it is in Germany. Heck, most of Germany (all of it if one considers that Bavaria is not really German to begin with) doesn't even do an Octoberfest.

but someone had to bring the celebrations with them in the first place....

Not necessarily. Maybe some silly folk just happened to travel to munich in October, got hammered and thought: Hey, that was fun! Let's do that at home, too.

ok, whatever....y'all just want to be cynical on ethnic celebrations... that's fine, to each their own.

[*Robert* 2]

someone at work just asked if Lucia was going to be celebrating cinco de Mayo......

not sure if I should laugh or cry......I've got a lot to look forward too

What?!!! You mean they don't celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Peru?!!! Por Que?

Guess people must think since it's spanish, all spanish speaking people celebrate it!!!