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Cinco de Mayo - May 5 A Mexican Holiday
5th
of May or Cinco de Mayo as it is said in Spanish is a national holiday
in Mexico and is celebrated widely in the U.S. as well, but it is not
Mexico’s day of Independence which is the 16th of September. This Mexican
Holiday is celebrating the defense of the Mexico’s independence and not
the gaining of it which actually had occurred 50 years before in September
of 1810. Cinco de Mayo celebrates the defeat of the French Army sent by
France which was under the rule of Louis Napoleon III.
History shows that after the Mexican President Benito Juarez on July 16th
of 1861, had made the decision to suspend payment of debts for 2 years,
to the 3 major European powers at the time, the French did not accept
this offer of temporary suspension of payment as the English and Spaniards
did. The French troops were ordered to Mexico City and President Juarez
sent General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin to fortify the City of Puebla 100
miles to the east of Mexico City in defense of the on coming French troops.
Cinco de Mayo is the celebration of the Battle of Puebla on May 5th in
the year of 1862, where a poorly equipped and a much outnumbered Mexican
army with Mesitozo and Zapotec Indians inspired by freedom and determined
to defend it were able to defeat the French at the forts of Loreto and
Guadalupe in the city of Puebla.
Battle of Puebla and the French Invasion
It is said that the young General Zaragoza had ordered
his cavalry to the flank of the French army and as they stupidly chased
them as they had planned an ambush the infantry was left to fight in a
muddy battlefield that gave the Mexicans the advantage needed to gain
defeat.
While the victory was one of substantial importance because the underdog
Mexican army which was armed, contrary to some accounts, yet well outnumbered
defeated the ominous French army creating a moral boost to all of Mexico,
the French did however very quickly send many more troops and a year after
invaded Mexico City.
What
is interesting is the celebration of 5 de Mayo is
probably more widespread in the U.S. than it is here in Mexico. It is
considered a national holiday and is heavily celebrated in the city of
Puebla, Mexico city and many other areas of Mexico it is not near as important
to Mexicans as their true independence day, the 16th September. There
is a story of how a high school teacher in the Los Angeles area, which
was predominately Hispanic, had looked for an important holiday to celebrate
during the school year and found the Battle of Puebla to celebrate with
the students. This celebration in the L.A school system possibly, along
with the commercialization of 5 de Mayo by the U. S. in Hispanic areas,
Cinco de Mayo has become a very popular day of fiesta for Americans, Mexicans
and Chicanos (American born Mexicans) all over the U.S.
The Cinco de Mayo celebrations include traditional dances, piñatas, and
foods like Mole and chipotle sauces, tacos and Margaritas of course, can
be found in most major cities of America today. Near Mexico City’s airport
there is even a re-enactment of the battle of Puebla every year as well
as a very large festival in the City Of Puebla. So while it is not really
Mexico’s Independence Day it of course it a great excuse for a fiesta
and Viva Mexico!