Here in the US, Cinco de Mayo is often mistaken as Mexico's
Independence Day, which is
celebrated on September 16. I
read that the modern American focus on the day first started in California in
the 1860s in response to the resistance to French rule in Mexico. It is said
that Mexican miners far up in the north of California were so overjoyed at the
news that they spontaneously fired off rifles shots and fireworks, sang patriotic
songs and made impromptu speeches. According to TIME magazine, Cinco de
Mayo started to become popular in 1940s America during the rise of the Chicano
movement. The holiday crossed over from California into the rest of the United
States in the 1950s and 1960s but didn't gain popularity until the 1980s when
marketers, mostly those representing alcohol, capitalized on the celebratory nature of
the day and began to promote it.
Hooray for Mexico! I'm so glad you got to be Mexico and not France.
Around here, I plan to celebrate Cinco de Mayo by sharing that little nugget of history with my husband while sipping on a couple of tasty margaritas.
How are you celebrating?
-Kristi
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