What’s the Fiesta For? BY RISA WILLIAMS McMILLAN
For most Americans, Cinco de Mayo is like St. Patrick’s Day in that it is a wonderful excuse to celebrate a different culture. When it comes to delving into the finer taste points of other cultures, Mexican food and drink is hands down my favorite. I mean who would turn their cheek to an excuse to eat all that Mexican goodness and drink margaritas and ice cold cervezas? Throw in some Mexican song and dance to get you in the mood and you have the perfect fiesta. But what's wrong with this scenario is that in order to be able to fully join in the Cinco de Mayo festivities, you should have an understanding and appreciation for what the party is all about. While here in the United States the 5th of May has become a day to celebrate the Mexican culture as well as the achievements of our neighbors with a Mexican heritage, down in Mexico it is a celebration of a different sort – one of a grand military victory that occurred just over 150 years ago. 62
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• PHOTO BY ROB KAUFMAN
Cinco de Mayo, also known as the Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, is a national holiday in Mexico in honor of their victory over the French forces of Napoleon III in 1862. In order to comprehend why this “W” was so important to the Mexicans that they named a whole day after it, a bit of a history lesson is in order. Things started to heat up between Mexico and France with the French occupation of Mexico after the Mexican-American War of 1846-48 and the Reform War of 1858-61. The Reform War was a civil war and it pitted Liberals (who believed in separation of church and state and freedom of religion) against the Conservatives (who favored a tight bond between the Roman Catholic Church and the Mexican State). These wars left the Mexican Treasury nearly bankrupt. On July 17, 1861, Mexican President Benito Juarez issued a moratorium in which all foreign debt payments would be suspended for two years. This did not go over so well with