First, a little history lesson. For those of you who believe that Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican independence day, you are wrong. The Mexican Independence Day is on September 16th. Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of the Mexican troops beating French invaders at the battle of Puebla. This was an notable defeat since the Mexican army was outnumbered by the French who had twice their size. The French were also far better equipped and hadn't been defeated in about fifty years. This was also significant because no country in the Americas had previously been invaded, and the Mexican army was still able to overcome.
So why is it that Cinco de Mayo has been more widely celebrated in America than Mexico? During around the same time, the US Civil War was coming to a close and troops were coming to Mexico's aid. I don't presume this is the sole reason why America celebrates this holiday, but it certainly plays some role.
Some interesting celebrations for Cinco de Mayo include skydiving in Vancouver, air guitar competition in the Cayman Islands, and drinking Mexican beer in Malta. So make some delicious Mexican meals, watch a film by Bunuel, go skydiving! Have an absolutely fantastically festive Cinco de Mayo!
No comments:
Post a Comment