or.... Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Oh? And, you thought this holiday was when Mexico celebrated their independence from Spain? Wrong. That would be in September.
Yes, I'd thunked incorrectly, too. Nor is it a Mexican federal holiday. *gasp*
So say many sites I googled and Wikipedia.
History of observance
According to a paper published by the UCLA Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture, about the origin of the observance of Cinco de Mayo in the United States, the modern American focus on that day first started in California in the 1860s in response to the resistance to French rule in Mexico. The paper notes that "The holiday, which has been celebrated in California continuously since 1863, is virtually ignored in Mexico.
Some Americans would rather that our culture didn't acknowledge this event... but, I think it is an excellent reason to raise our margarita glasses and toast independence at any and all occasions (Gen. Sam Houston would heartily agree!) and especially if it's freedom from the frenchies. Not that I have anything against champagne, the community or the beverage. But... now, about those frogs- absolutely NO ONE wants to have to subordinate to the likes of them.
Our family has almost always recognized this holiday.... yes, we like to eat.... and drink... alot. This is how my parents explained it to us. Keep in mind- we were transplanted and raised Tex-i-can- so celebrating rebellion and independent thought was as natural as having an oil well in your back yard.
Historically, the Mexican people have an inordinate fondness for – indeed, a LOVE of -- MAYONNAISE.
A little known fact surrounding the tragic loss of the Titanic in April, 1912 was that her holds contained several thousand cases of fine French mayonnaise.
After depositing her human cargo in New York, the great ship was to have continued south to a Mexican port where this French delicacy was to be unloaded for distribution there.
When word finally reached Mexico of the loss of the precious cargo to the cold waters of the Atlantic, they declared a national holiday.
It is known as “SINKO DA MAYO.”
A far less well known April holiday.
April 21st was the famed Battle of San Jacinto where General Houston led the charge: yelling and screaming "Remember the Alamo" and woke Santa Anna from his afternoon nap and completely ruin-ated 4 o'clock tea. Today's school children are convinced that the Republic of Texans (that's not to say that they were in fact Republicans) would have won even more quickly had they just climbed up on the monument and fired their weapons down upon the Mexican army below. Makes sense to me.
The Mexican tend to think of the whole affair like a disaster movie; A Tacolips Now.
Yet, they do seem to always get the final word. By sending us all their illegals; practicing superb marketing skills enticing tourists into spending money on their seasides then sending them all home with Montezuma's revenge.
Howsomever- enjoy your empanadas with a little holandaise sauce and pass me a Corona, please?
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