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Cinco de Mayo

The Hammer

[REDACTED]
Premium Member
Cinco de Mayo is celebrated more in the United States than in Mexico

“What's sad is that most Mexican Americans and most Latinx people don't even realize that it was originally started as a political event about resistance and about fighting against the odds,” he said. “That's kind of one of the downsides of multiculturalism and diversity is that when your holiday gets included, it gets reduced down to sales on tortillas, sales on beer, sales of all you can eat at El Torito. It doesn't talk about the community that has been here and survived."
 

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Cinco de Mayo is celebrated more in the United States than in Mexico

“What's sad is that most Mexican Americans and most Latinx people don't even realize that it was originally started as a political event about resistance and about fighting against the odds,” he said. “That's kind of one of the downsides of multiculturalism and diversity is that when your holiday gets included, it gets reduced down to sales on tortillas, sales on beer, sales of all you can eat at El Torito. It doesn't talk about the community that has been here and survived."

I can see their point. I think this might be true for a lot of holidays, where it might get commercialized or the true meaning might be lost. Memorial Day weekend is coming up. A lot of Americans don't really even know much of their own history, let alone that of other countries.

It is an interesting bit of history, at least in terms of the circumstances of the historical battle which is being commemorated on Cinco de Mayo. It was in 1862, when Napoleon III was attempting to take over Mexico. The U.S. was powerless to do anything about it, as it was during the Civil War. The Mexican forces defeated the French.

Napoleon III would later be captured by the Germans at Sedan during the Franco-Prussian War.
 

It Aint Necessarily So

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Cinco de Mayo is celebrated more in the United States than in Mexico

“What's sad is that most Mexican Americans and most Latinx people don't even realize that it was originally started as a political event about resistance and about fighting against the odds,” he said. “That's kind of one of the downsides of multiculturalism and diversity is that when your holiday gets included, it gets reduced down to sales on tortillas, sales on beer, sales of all you can eat at El Torito. It doesn't talk about the community that has been here and survived."

You've probably heard that Cinco de Mayo is really only a regional holiday in Mexico, celebrated principally in the state of Puebla. I live in Mexico, but in a different state, Jalisco, where the holiday is not celebrated, even though just about everything else is (May 1 was Labor Day, May 3 the day of the holy cross, and May 10 will be Mother's Day, all celebrated, but not May 5). It's much bigger holiday in the States, although I doubt many celebrants know what it commemorates.

If you don't mind a digression, another thing that surprises Americans is that Mexicans don't eat Tex-Mex, which is food like nachos, burritos, and fajitas. Those foods are here now in my community, because we have so many Canadian and American expatriates living here, and they want these foods, but the Mexicans don't order them. I remember the first time I had nachos in Mexico. Not what you would call nachos. Basically chips with salsa (pico de gallo) on them instead of in a bowl on the side.

This is a menu from a local diner (cenaduria) that caters to Mexican tastes, not gringos. Memo is the owner, a nickname for Guillermo, or William, and Cenaduria Memo is a typical restaurant name, like Mariscos Lety or Tacos Jessica, also both local restaurants.

Prices are in pesos, so divide by 20 to get prices in US dollars. For a large bowl of pozole (a hearty, reddish, local soup made with hominy and meat), 2 tacos, 2 tostadas, 2 enchiladas, and 2 beers - dinner for two - you'd pay about 170 pesos, or $8.50 USD. The point, however, is what's not on this menu.

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Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
I think this might be true for a lot of holidays,
It's definitely true for many holidays.
Labor day is now making laborers labor more on their own day.
Memorial day is BBQs now, hardly honoring the troops.
Halloween is now commercialized rubbished.
Thanksgiving now isn't day a family and thanks and stores being closed but the start of the "Christmas season."
Christmas....does this need explaining?
Valentines is now commercial rubbish completely stripped of the martyred saints the day is named after, which was already an attempt to "Christianize" the Roman day of Lupercalia.
St. Patricks day, bad costumes, bad accents, green everywhere, just a day to get drunk and sell cheap junk.
4th of July? It's not as safe as people may think. 1776 is the only date people can remember (would have been for naught had the revolution failed) with 1788 being a "bigger" yet forgotten year, and playing songs like the Who's American Woman or Bruce Springsteen's Born int he USA demonstrates how little thought actually goes into this day.
 

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
It's definitely true for many holidays.
Labor day is now making laborers labor more on their own day.
Memorial day is BBQs now, hardly honoring the troops.
Halloween is now commercialized rubbished.
Thanksgiving now isn't day a family and thanks and stores being closed but the start of the "Christmas season."
Christmas....does this need explaining?
Valentines is now commercial rubbish completely stripped of the martyred saints the day is named after, which was already an attempt to "Christianize" the Roman day of Lupercalia.
St. Patricks day, bad costumes, bad accents, green everywhere, just a day to get drunk and sell cheap junk.
4th of July? It's not as safe as people may think. 1776 is the only date people can remember (would have been for naught had the revolution failed) with 1788 being a "bigger" yet forgotten year, and playing songs like the Who's American Woman or Bruce Springsteen's Born int he USA demonstrates how little thought actually goes into this day.

I agree with everything you're saying here, except for one small quibble: It's The Guess Who who did "American Woman," not The Who. :p
 
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