Well, we\u2019ve kicked off the busy month of May around here \u2014 today is the fifth and it\u2019s Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican Army\u2019s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. As we\u2019ve talked about before, it is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico. In many places is simply known as the Battle of Puebla Day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since we\u2019re all still staying at home, this is a good opportunity to talk about today and maybe learn a little history\u2026\u00a0
Today commemorates a single battle. First, a little background \u2014 in 1861, Benito Ju\u00e1rez, a lawyer and member of the indigenous Zapotec tribe, was elected president of Mexico. At the time, the country was in financial ruin after years of internal strife, and the new president was forced to default on debt payments to European governments. In response, France, Britain and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz, Mexico, demanding payment. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and withdrew their forces. But France, ruled by Napoleon III, saw this as an opportunity to carve an empire out of Mexican territory. Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz and landed a large force of troops \u2014 that drove President Ju\u00e1rez and his government into retreat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The French were certain that victory would come swiftly and General Charles Latrille de Lorencez led 6,000 French troops to attack Puebla de Los Angeles, a small town in east-central Mexico. Ju\u00e1rez rounded up a ragtag force of 2,000 men \u2014 many of them either indigenous Mexicans or of mixed ancestry \u2014 and sent them to Puebla. The vastly outnumbered and poorly supplied Mexicans, led by Texas-born General Ignacio Zaragoza, fortified the town and prepared for the French assault. On May 5, 1862, Lorencez gathered his army \u2014 supported by heavy artillery, and led an assault on the city of Puebla. The battle lasted from daybreak to early evening, and when the French finally retreated they had lost nearly 500 soldiers. Fewer than 100 Mexicans had been killed in the skirmish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Battle of Puebla wasn\u2019t a major strategic win in the overall war against the French, but it was a great symbolic victory for the Mexican government and bolstered the resistance movement.
\u00a0In 1867, partly because of military support and political pressure from the United States, France finally withdrew.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As you probably know, Cinco de Mayo is a bigger deal here than in Mexico. Cinco de May is primarily observed in the state of Puebla in Mexico, although other parts of the country also take part in the celebration. For many\/most Mexicans, May 5 is a \u201cregular\u201d day \u2014 it isn\u2019t a federal holiday, so offices, banks and stores are open for business.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the United States, Cinco de Mayo began to become popular in the 1960s\u2026 initially, many in the US thought it was a celebration of Mexican independence \u2014 it\u2019s not, of course, Mexican Independence Day is September 16. Today, other than a good excuse to drink margaritas, the day is thought of as a day to celebrate Mexican culture and heritage. Some of the largest Cinco de Mayo festivals are held in Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I guess it shouldn\u2019t come as any surprise that 47% of all drinks ordered on Cinco de Mayo are margaritas\u2026 I\u2019m sure tequila sales go up around this time of year, too. My extensive research uncovered an interesting fact about tequila. Centuries ago, tequila couldn\u2019t be enjoyed by all Mexican people. Aztec priests used to make a milky beer-like drink from the agave plant called pulque. Only the priests could consume this precursor of tequila. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I probably should mention that Carnegie Music Hall originally opened on May 5h and this date also marks the launch of the first American-manned space flight (in 1961.) But whatever day you\u2019re celebrating, it seems like a good occasion for a margarita\u2026..
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Well, we\u2019ve kicked off the busy month of May around here \u2014 today is the fifth and it\u2019s Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican Army\u2019s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle … Continue reading