Cinco de mayo is not the Mexican 4th of July

Fri05May2006

Cinco de mayo is not the Mexican 4th of July

12:40 H | Topics: Culture - History - Mexico

If el día de los muertos is the hipster's excuse to get drunk, Cinco de mayo is everyone else's good enough day to get hammered. Today sports bars, Tex-Mex restaurants and "casual dining" establishments across the country will fill up with hordes of people out to celebrate the holiday the way they know how: by getting unbelievably loaded.

Anyone that knows me knows that I've got nothing against imbibing. All I ask is that people actually know what the holiday is before making it their own personal mardi gras (ask anyone what that holiday is about and prepare for some blank stares as well).

For once and for all, Cinco de mayo is not Mexican independence day. Not from Spain or from (gulp!) the United States. People, Spain got out of Mexico in 1810 and if you ever happen to pay attention on the days of September 15-16, you'll see a heck of a lot of Mexican people partying. Those days commemorate Mexican independence.

Now you know what Cinco de Mayo isn't. While most probably don't care, we'll tell you what it is.

Long ago the French invaded Mexico. Ever been to the Castillo de Chapultepec in Mexico City? It's not just another Mexican landmark; it was the home of French "emperor of Mexico" Maximilian. On May 5, 1862, ragtag Mexican forces led by Ignacio Zaragoza succeeded in defeating the French army (at the time considered the most powerful in the world) at the Battle of Puebla.

The Battle of Puebla didn't end the French occupation of Mexico, which continued on to 1867. What it did do was gain Mexico some respect in the rest of the world. Spanish Wikipedia tells us more:

The news of the triumph of Republican forces at Puebla filled the country with enthusiasm and at the same time caused a sensation in France. While in military terms the Battle of Puebla didn't stop the advance of the French army, it did have a big influence on morale as it raised the Republic of Mexico out of the self image of pandering and cowardice that the enemies had instilled in them. The French intervention invoked great sympathy for Mexico's cause in all of the Americas and in the liberal sectors of Europe. The Spanish, English, and French press criticized Napoleón III and advocated for the pulling of invader troops.

After May 5th, 1862, the occupation went on. A last crowning moment for Mexico was when on June 19, 1867 (in spite of French luminaries such as Victor Hugo pleading for his life) Emperor Maximilian was executed by Benito Juarez's army, effectively ridding Mexico of French presence. The execution is depicted in the image, a painting by Manet.

Still wanna go out and get hammered? Adelante, but at least we are all squared away on the history of Cinco de mayo.

And if you want more info on the holiday, don't go looking on Wikipedia. Someone has defaced the entry to include racial epithets. How much you wanna bet that person will be getting drunk tonight regardless?

Related: Drink-o de Mayo (Metafilter)

Via / Wikipedia