Saturday, May 5, 2012

Cinco De Mayo: Just Another Day In Mexico, Except in Puebla

That's right, friends. Cinco de Mayo in Mexico is a regional celebration of the victory over France at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Outside the capital city and state of Puebla, today is pretty much just another Saturday. For Mexicans, the big national celebration is September 16, Independence Day.

In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is something else entirely. What originated in 1862 as a local celebration of the victory by Mexican gold miners in northern California has spread across the United States as a celebration of Mexican culture. Like many American holidays, official and otherwise, Cinco de Mayo has grown in popularity in recent decades due to heavy commercial promotion, especially by the alcoholic beverage industry.

Whatever the reason for its popularity, it's a great time to enjoy a small portion of the rich Mexican cultural  contribution to the American experience:



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