Cinco de Mayo: Victory is Sweet |
 |
Every year on May 5, bars and restaurants across the United States make themselves over to look like Timothy Leary's version of Tiajuana (scary, right?). People guzzle margaritas, swat at pinatas, and attempt to do Mexican hat dances with varying degrees of success. And most of them think they're celebrating Mexico's Independence Day.
They are sorely mistaken.
Cinco de Mayo is actually a celebration of the Mexican army's unlikely victory against France in the battle at Puebla in 1862. The holiday has been taken up in the U.S. since it coincided with the Civil War, and was seen as a way to celebrate freedom and equality. Nobody's knocking the margaritas, particularly after a stressful day at the office, but the day is about so much more than tequila and limes. If you are looking to celebrate Mexican Independence Day, you'll have to wait until September 16.
If you need to brush up on your Mexican cultural history (and let's face it, most of us do), click here.
Peace, love, and guacamole.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Read up on the latest travel blogs by subscribing to our RSS feed. So fresh and so free! Subscribe
For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
Facebook
Twitter
You Tube
Foursquare
Newsletter
RSS Feed
