Every year we celebrate Cinco de Mayo by getting drunk on tequila, eating tacos and enjoying the colorful parades of people partying in sombrero hats. We all think it’s about something really important and should be a federal holiday in the United States to honor the heritage of our Mexican brethren (this usually happens after copious consumption of tequila). But most people don’t really know what Cinco de Mayo celebrates.
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Let’s start with what Cinco de Mayo is NOT
- Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexican independence day. September 16th is the day of “Grito de Dolores” when Manuel Hidalgo famously rang his church bell and called for the overthrow of Spanish rule in Mexico. Yes, there are lots of Mexican parades on Cinco de Mayo. No, they are not celebrating Mexican independence day.
- It DOES NOT celebrate a victory against the Spanish. Yes, Mexicans did not want to be ruled by the Spanish. Yes, they threw them out. No, not on Cinco de Mayo.
- It is NOT the biggest holiday in Mexico. In fact, Cinco de Mayo is not even a holiday in Mexico and not really celebrated much beyond Puebla. Cinco de Mayo is most enthusiastically celebrated in.. Los Angeles. Which makes it as authentically Mexican as Taco Bell.
- Tequila is NOT the official celebration drink of Cinco de Mayo. In Puebla, the official birthplace of Cinco de Mayo, the most popular drink is… agua fresca. Puebla is also the birthplace of the Mole Poblano sauce. Go ahead and enjoy those margaritas, sombrero hats and tacos though, as long as you know there isn’t anything official about them.
- Cinco de Mayo DID NOT lead to the end of European rule in Mexico. In fact, Cinco de Mayo eventually led to French rule. It was not Napoleon III’s waterloo.
What is Cinco de Mayo?
Cinco de Mayo celebrates the unlikely victory of the Mexican Army over Napoleon III’s forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
What led to the Battle of Puebla?
With its treasury depleted due to the Mexican American and Reform wars, Mexico announced that it would suspend foreign debt payments for two years. It resulted in the French, the British and the Spanish all sending their naval forces. While the Spanish and the British negotiated a settlement and withdrew, France, under Napoleon III decided to use this as an opportunity to establish rule over Mexico.
What happened and aftermath?
The French attacked with a large army and drove the Mexican armies and government into retreat. The well-trained and battle-hardened French army of 8000 encountered a ragtag army of 4000 Mexicans at the Battle of Puebla and unexpectedly lost. The victory was short-lived though, as two years later the French sent 30,000 men and crushed the Mexican forces, resulting in the installation of Maximillian I as emperor of Mexico.
