Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner, and you know what that means. That’s right! Another reason to call off work and party it up, but not many people know the reasons why they are celebrating.
“But isn’t Cinco de Mayo the Mexican Independence Day?” someone might ask. However, if someone were to ask that, there is no doubt that they would get smacked or scolded, perhaps both, for their ignorance. Let’s illuminate the masses.
First and foremost, Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexico’s Independence Day. That holiday falls on Sept. 16 and was won in 1810, although, the Spanish did not officially declare it until 1821.
Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that commemorates the victory against the French army in Puebla in 1862. Mexican President Benito Juarez declared Mexico to be in financial ruin, preventing the country from paying its debts to foreign nations. France, displeased with the news, opted to invade Mexico and turn it into a French nation.Thinking that large numbers would assure victory, the French army, led by Gen. Charles Latrille de Lorencez, invaded the small town of Puebla de Los Angeles with 6,000 soldiers and 2,000 French loyalists on May 5, 1862. Juarez managed to round up 4,000 men under the lead of Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza to defend the town, most of whom were either Indigenous Mexicans or of mixed heritage.
In a battle that lasted from dawn to early evening, the better armed, supplied and manned French army were defeated, retreating after losing almost 500 of their men. The Mexicans, on the other hand, lost less than 100. During that time, the French army was considered to be powerful, not having lost a single battle in 50 years. This battle alone bolstered the Mexican resistance movement, and with the aid of the United States in both military and political aspects, forced the French to withdraw from the country after six years and executed Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, who had been “installed as emperor of Mexico by Napoleon in 1864,” according to History.com.
Today, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in the state of Puebla, the site of Zaragoza’s unlikely victory, but other parts of the country take part in the celebration. However, to most Mexicans, Cinco de Mayo is simply another day of the week, so they go about their business as usual. For the United States, May 5 is highly celebrated and viewed as a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, mostly the Mexican-American population, but everyone, despite race and ethnicity, partakes in the festivities. Los Angeles, Houston and Chicago are said to hold the biggest festivals for the holiday.
However, San Diego is not one to be left out of the partying. In fact, the city’s very own Old Town has held an annual festival, called Fiesta Old Town Cinco de Mayo, to commemorate May 5 since 1983, and this year will not be any different. But since the day lands on a Monday, Old Town will hold the festival from Friday, May 2 to Sunday, May 4. There will be live music and dancing, a low rider car show, a children’s play area, a soccer competition, and of course, Mexican food and alcohol. Visit Old Town’s website, oldtownsandiegoguide.com, for more information.
