By Chi Chi Hernandez
Break out the tequila and get ready to fiesta – it’s Cinco De Mayo!
This celebration with its roots in Mexican history takes place each year on the 5th of May. This particular date commemorates the victory of the Mexican army, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza, over the larger French Empire’s forces (under Napoleon III) on May 5, 1862 at the Battle of Puebla. In the events leading up to the battle, Mexico had undergone many financial hardships, due to numerous wars and significant government restructuring. The upshot of all this turbulence was that the country was significantly in debt.
However, on July 17, 1861, President Benito Juarez issued a two-year suspension on foreign debt re-payments. Naval forces from Britain, Spain and France all sailed to Mexico to demand reimbursement, but Britain and Spain soon left after peaceful negotiations. France, on the other hand, was looking to establish a bigger footprint on the North American continent and thus war ensued. The French ultimately failed. This is why Mexican-Americans tend to observe Cinco De Mayo just as much as Mexicans themselves.
Celebrations typically associated with Cinco De Mayo include parades, music, story-telling, food, drinking, parties and re-enactments of the famous battle. Interestingly, Cinco De Mayo was originally recognized as an observation day in California – not Mexico – in the year after the battle, namely 1863. It is in fact more commonly recognized in The United States than Mexico, and it is often mistaken for Mexican Independence Day (the most significant holiday in Mexico) which actually happens to fall on September 16.
