CELEBRATING CINCO DE MAYO IN STYLE

Cinco de Mayo, or the Fifth of May in English, is a Mexican holiday celebrated in some parts of Mexico and the US to commemorate the date of the Mexican’s army May 5th, 1862, victory over the French forces of Napoleon III in a battle known as the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican war. In other words, Cinco de Mayo is the Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla. While it may be a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, Cinco de Mayo had evolved into a commemoration of the Mexican culture and heritage in the US, particularly in areas dominated by Mexican-American communities. However, it’s worth noting that Cinco de Mayo is not a celebration of Mexican Independence Day; rather, it’s a celebration of a single battle won by Mexican forces.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF CINCO DE MAYO

At this particular time, Mexico was in financial ruin after years of internal strife, which forced the then-president

Benito Juárez to default on debt payment to European authorities. Reacting to this, France, Britain, and Spain sent their naval forces to Veracruz to demand the payments. Britain and

France, under Napoleon III, saw this as an opportunity to carve an empire out of the indebted Mexican territory. In late 1861, a well-armed fleet of French army stormed Veracruz and landed a massive force of troops, forcing President Juárez and his government to retreat.

Excited by the move and certain victory would come swiftly, 6,000 French troops under Genera; Charles Latrille de Lorencez set out to attack Puebla de Los Angeles, a small town in east-central Mexico.

From his new northern headquarters, President Juárez gathered a ragtag force of 2000 loyal men, with most of them being indigenous Mexicans or of mixed ancestry, and sent them to secure Puebla led by Texas-born General Ignacio Zaragoza.

The outnumbered and poorly supplied Mexicans fortified Puebla and prepared for the French assault. On May 5, 1862, the heavily armed French troops gathered before Puebla and led an assault. The battle lasted from daybreak to early evening when the French troops retreated after losing nearly 500 soldiers compared to less than 100 Mexicans who had died in the clash.

While the victory at the Battle of Puebla wasn’t a major strategic win in the overall war against the French, Zaragoza’s success at the May 5 battle marked a significant symbolic victory for the Mexican government and strengthened the resistance movement. France later withdrew from Mexico in 1867, thanks to the military support and political pressure from the US, which was eventually in a position to come to aid its needy Later on, Puebla de Los Angeles was renamed for General Zaragoza, who died of typhoid fever months after his historic triumph.

HOW TO CELEBRATE CINCO DE MAYO AMID THE PANDEMIC.

This year, same as last year, maybe a bit different since we are still in the middle of a deadly pandemic. But still, that doesn’t mean you should sit around and do nothing on the Fifth of May.

One way you can celebrate Cinco de Mayo this year is by supporting your local Mexican restaurant. Although some businesses have unfortunately closed down, there is a chance you will find a nice local spot for tacos, tamales, or taquitos. If none, you can consider trying out one of the Mexican restaurants offering delivery services.

You should also consider tuning in to some mariachi music this 5th of May. Alternatively, remember to support your local mariachi musicians whose source of income was cut off by the pandemic.

Additionally, consider making some donations to some cultural centers in your area to help them stay afloat until the return of normalcy. For those around California, some cultural centers in the area include the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach and the Mexican Cultural Center of Northern California.

Work cited.

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/ cinco-de-mayo. https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/202005-05/5-ways-to-celebrate-cinco-de-mayo-athome.