Every year when May 5th rolls around, better known as cinco de Mayo, people that have no business celebrating take their cheap sombreros and fake mustaches out of the attic and prepare to party. What these people fail to realize is that cinco de Mayo is much more than a day where the line at taco bell is backed up and that it is also not an excuse to get wasted.
The significance of this holiday is not to “commemorate Mexico’s independence”- which actually occurred September 16, 1810 – but is to celebrate the victory of a gruesome battle, known as La Batalla de Puebla.
This victory meant a great deal to the Mexican people, as it signified much more than just a small win. From the day of their independence, the Mexican people were subjected to several consecutive tragedies. When the group of 2000 make shift soldiers supported President Benito Juarez, they expected an awful defeat. Facing the French militia, their odds seemed to be slim. The Mexican soldiers were able to push through their predetermined defeat, and win.
This victory gave the country the much needed patriotism it needed to continue prospering.
So when people who are not of Mexican descent start celebrating this culture, it tends to be just another excuse to get drunk.
By treating this important day as what many people call it,”drinko de mayo”, not only are you disrespecting a Nation, but you are also disrespecting all those who lost their lives not only in La Battala de Puebla, but through the many decades of suffering the Mexican people were forced to endure.
Although, not being Mexican doesn’t exclude you from appreciating the culture. If you do wish to commemorate this special day, then go about it by indulging in authentic Mexican food and participating in traditional activities. Don’t make a mockery of such an important event.
And to my Mexican readers, Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
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