Cinco De Mayo: Let's get wasted!!!!

"What are you doing for Cinco De Mayo?" asks Everyone.

"Nothing" I reply.

"Why not?" inquires Everyone.

"Ummmm...because I'm not Mexican. Nor do I live in Mexico. Nor do I know that much about it."

I'm gonna send $5.00 to the first celebrator that can, without doing a google search, tell me what Cinco De Mayo is a celebration of.

I think it's another dumb thing that Americans do. We steal other people's holidays, commercialize them to make a buck, and then honor them in celebration by getting totally wasted and puking all over our taco meal or sombrero. And about 95% of us have no idea what the holiday is even about. This behavior somewhat puzzles me. So I took it to Wikipedia to find out what the deal is.


"Cinco de Mayo ("The Fifth of May" in Spanish) is primarily a regional, and not a federal, holiday in Mexico; the date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. It commemorates an initial victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín over French forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

However, the Mexican victory at Puebla only delayed the French invasion of Mexico City, and a year later, the French occupied Mexico. The French occupying forces placed Maximilian I, Emperor of Mexico on the throne of Mexico; Maximillian and the French were eventually defeated and expelled in 1867, five years after the Battle of Puebla.

A common misconception in the United States is that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence Day; Mexico's Independence Day is September 16 (dieciséis de septiembre in Spanish).

Mexico

Cinco de Mayo is viewed as a relatively minor holiday in most of Mexico, and it is observed, if at all, in varying degrees.^[1][2] The holiday is celebrated vigorously in Puebla, Puebla, where the battle was fought, and throughout the state of Puebla; celebration is more limited or non-existent in the rest of the country.^[3] For the most part the celebrations combine food, drink, music and dancing.

United States

In the United States, Cinco de Mayo has taken on a significance beyond its significance in Mexico.^[4] Commercial interests in the United States have capitalized on the celebration advertising Mexican products and services with an emphasis on beverages, foods, and music.^[5] The date is perhaps best recognized in the United States as a date to celebrate the culture and experiences of Americans of Mexican descent, much like St. Patrick's Day, Oktoberfest, or Chinese New Year are used to celebrate those of Irish, German, and Chinese descent, respectively. As a result, the holiday is observed by many Americans regardless of ethnic origins, particularly in cities and states where there is a large population of Mexican origin. Although it is no more an officially-recognized holiday than St. Patrick's Day, many cities with large populations of Mexican origin honor the day as a symbolic representation of Mexican pride and as a representation of a culture that blends both Mexican and American roots. Celebrations tend to draw both from traditional Mexican symbols, such as the Virgin de Guadalupe, as well as prominent figures of Mexican descent in the United States, such as César Chávez.

The reference to the Battle of Puebla is seen as a symbolic cultural link to those who had to overcome insurmountable odds while facing adversity. In neighborhoods such as East Los Angeles, the Mission District of San Francisco, East San Jose and elsewhere throughout the Southwest, Cinco de Mayo is most accurately characterized as a day of celebration to honor a culture that fuses Mexican heritage and American life experience. To celebrate, many display Cinco de Mayo banners while school districts hold special events to educate students about its historical significance. Special events and celebrations highlight the Mexican culture, especially in its music and regional dancing. Examples include ballet folklórico and mariachi demonstrations held annually at the Plaza del Pueblo de Los Angeles near Olvera Street.

Alright, awesome. If you're Mexican, living in the US, and you know and care about your history and roots in political Mexico, then by all means, celebrate! But if you're an American without any Mexican friends or ties to Mexico, and you've no idea what Cinco De Mayo actually represents, than keep your overindulgent Tequila shooting behavior to regular Friday nights, and try not to blame it on a holiday you can't pronounce! Unless tortillas are on sale, of course.

(And no, I don't celebrate the Guinness national holiday, I mean, St. Patrick's Day either).