Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Cinco de Mayo

Today is the fifth of May.  A day marked on the calendar for a Mexican holiday to commemorate the Mexican Army's victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla, on May 5, 1862.  The victory of the smaller Mexican army over the larger French army was a boost in morale for Mexico.

The holiday has been celebrated in California continuously since 1863, and has spread to the greater United States.  It is virtually ignored in Mexico - it is not a statutory holiday, though the schools are closed.  It is an official holiday in the Mexican state of Puebla and the neighboring state of Veracruz.

In the United States, it has largely become a celebration of Mexican food and alcohol.  In fact, in 2013, more beer was purchased for Cinco De Mayo than for the Super Bowl or St. Patrick's Day.

It should be a celebration of Mexican culture.  It should be an opportunity to learn about the history, heritage, and culture of our neighbors to the south.  To see how intertwined our histories and destinies are.  To celebrate the music, the art, the food, the dance, and the style of Mexico.  There have been proposals to this end, including a resolution from Congress dating back to 2005.

Hopefully, we will make that official soon.

We are celebrating with Tex Mex tonight (missing home a little bit) and with film about Mexican culture.  Trying to teach Avalyn a bit about Mexico, though she will not really study it until October/November. Her country this month is India.

We also have another reason to celebrate today.  Today, we celebrate Mom and Dad's 41st anniversary.  May 5, 1979.  We wish we could be there to celebrate with them, and look forward to being there in a month.  We hope they have a wonderful day today!

Hard to believe it's almost been a year since this photo!
So, however you are celebrating - Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!




No comments:

Post a Comment