What's Cinco De Mayo? (Redux)

Is Cinco de Mayo a cooking term for synchronization of a condiment?  Not so much. Neither is it Mexican Independence Day. My first year of blogging I did a post explaining it.  Here's the do over of my May 2, 2005 post: (Just to prove I'm still a blogger and still breathing...not necessarily in that order.)

In Texas, we hear a lot about Cinco de Mayo this time of year. But how many of us actually know what it is?  Allow me to help.

Literally, it is Spanish for the fifth of May.

Historically, it is a Hispanic holiday that celebrates the Mexican army’s victory over the French in 1862 in the Mexican town of Puebla.

It is NOT Mexican Independence Day. That is Dieciseis de Septiembre or September 16^th, which actually commemorates September 16^th of 1810, over 50 years before the Cinco de Mayo battle.

What Cinco de Mayo does celebrate is a battle significant because the Mexican army was about half the size of the French army and much less prepared, yet they managed to defeat them.

According to the History Channel, this was not a major strategic victory, yet was important in boosting Mexican moral. It also, according to Cincodemayo.org, played a major role in relations between Mexico and the United States.Some speculate that since it was during the United States’ Civil War, the U.S. may not have been able to counter a French invasion into the U.S. if the Mexicans had not defeated the French.

Researching this raised more questions than I have time to answer, but I hope you now have a better understanding of Cinco de Mayo. I do.

For more info:

Go to mexonline.com for an interesting paragraph about who celebrates Cinco de Mayo. Reminded me of the recent beverage commercial with the scenario of a fake mariachi band in Cleveland getting exposed as posers. The drink was bottled in White Plains, New York - where all authentic Mexican beverages are bottled.

This link from about.com has a short, easy to read  summary of  Cinco de Mayo.

Also on about.com are other articles on  Cinco de Mayo's history, activities for children and recipes.

Click on this map to become more geographically literate and to get a better sense of what happened. (France landed in Veracruz, heading for Mexico City 600 miles away. The US couldn't offer help because of the Civil War. Mexican General Saragossa was able to stop the French.  This will tell you the rest of the story.)

Added May 4, 2005:  Educators (of all "branches") can find useful links and book reviews on the childrenslit.com Themed Review page for Cinco de Mayo.   

Comments

[Monica]

LEXIE!!!! You're back! And with a surprise. :)

I've been slighty worried, but figured you were busy with non-blogging life.

[Monica]

LEXIE!!!! You're back! And with a surprise. :)

I've been slighty worried, but figured you were busy with non-blogging life.

[Lexie]

Thanks, Christy. We're pretty excited about our own Cinco, though refer to "him" as "5" because cinco sounds like Sinko, a possible name for a generic drain cleaner.

[Chrsity]

Thank you for that history moment Ms. Lexie. I hear not only are you still breathing, you are growing a new person. How wonderful! Congratualtions!