Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for “fifth of May”) is a regional holiday in Mexico, primarily celebrated in the state of Puebla. It is NOT Mexican Independence Day (that’s September 16). The holiday commemorates the Mexican army’s unlikely defeat of French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.
Outnumbered two-to-one, the Mexicans defeated a much better-equipped French army that had known no defeat for almost 50 years. This victory was significant in helping to fortify and preserve the countries of both Mexico and the United States.
At the time, the French army, under the direction of Emporer Napolean III, was trying to take advantage of two situations: Mexico’s debt to France, and the preoccupation of the United States with its Civil War. The French moved in to collect Mexico’s debt by force (and thereby takeover the Mexican government, and gain political advantage in the region). Mexico’s victory meant that the French were no longer able to supply the US Confederate Army against the Union, and so that helped tip the balance toward a Union victory. After the US Civil War was settled, US troops moved to the Texas/Mexico border, where the US supported Mexico against France.
Cinco de Mayo celebrates freedom and liberty, two ideals that Mexicans and Americans have fought together to preserve ever since.
Eat at a Mexican restaurant today!
Meals to try:
- taco salad with chicken or beans instead of beef
- fajita with grilled veggies
- the grilled veggies and grilled chicken from a fajita (no tortilla)
- bean burrito with extra salad
- bean enchiladas (no cheese) with extra salad
