By Bobby James (Email BJ)
Hey wanna sound smart when you're throwing down Coronas tonight for Cinco de Mayo? Every year, Americans go out on May 5th, get shitfaced at the bar, wear a funny hat, split a pinata and then go home and sleep it off. But does anyone have any idea what Cinco de Mayo is all about? Here's a hint: Americans have absolutely no reason to celebrate it.
The story starts predictably in Mexico, following the overthrow of the Spanish empire. Mexico was split into 2 camps; one that wanted an American style democracy, the other being a conservative style based on Catholicism, with close ties to Spain, their motherland. The rivalry descended into a civil war which lasted for a few years and ended with the defeat of the conservatives. Mexico's political turmoil was over, but the country was in tatters.
Meanwhile, Napolean III, who owned lots of land in Mexico, decided to sweep in and see what he could grab. He was a Napolean after all, what else are they supposed to do? So France invaded Mexico on that fateful day of May 5th, 1862. France chose this moment in time because they knew that the US was stuck in our own civil war and wouldn't have the resources to fight the Frenchmen. So the Mexicans were on their own. Amazingly they won. Because they were on their own turf, the relatively small Mexican army beat off the invading French, who had one of the biggest militaries in the world. The battle lasted for 5 years but Mexico finally had ownership of their land...until the drug lords took over of course. The story of Cinco de Mayo reminds us that the most powerful don't always win, but rather the ones with the most heart. And we remind ourselves of this message each year by bashing a paper machete donkey filled with Rollos.
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Read a more detailed history of Cinco de Mayo here
Hey wanna sound smart when you're throwing down Coronas tonight for Cinco de Mayo? Every year, Americans go out on May 5th, get shitfaced at the bar, wear a funny hat, split a pinata and then go home and sleep it off. But does anyone have any idea what Cinco de Mayo is all about? Here's a hint: Americans have absolutely no reason to celebrate it.
The story starts predictably in Mexico, following the overthrow of the Spanish empire. Mexico was split into 2 camps; one that wanted an American style democracy, the other being a conservative style based on Catholicism, with close ties to Spain, their motherland. The rivalry descended into a civil war which lasted for a few years and ended with the defeat of the conservatives. Mexico's political turmoil was over, but the country was in tatters.
Meanwhile, Napolean III, who owned lots of land in Mexico, decided to sweep in and see what he could grab. He was a Napolean after all, what else are they supposed to do? So France invaded Mexico on that fateful day of May 5th, 1862. France chose this moment in time because they knew that the US was stuck in our own civil war and wouldn't have the resources to fight the Frenchmen. So the Mexicans were on their own. Amazingly they won. Because they were on their own turf, the relatively small Mexican army beat off the invading French, who had one of the biggest militaries in the world. The battle lasted for 5 years but Mexico finally had ownership of their land...until the drug lords took over of course. The story of Cinco de Mayo reminds us that the most powerful don't always win, but rather the ones with the most heart. And we remind ourselves of this message each year by bashing a paper machete donkey filled with Rollos.
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Read a more detailed history of Cinco de Mayo here
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