My fellow Americans… What’s up with celebrating the fifth of may? It’s Mexican Independence day. Americans celebrating today seems like Canadians celebrating the fourth of July. Is it just an excuse to drink and I’m just seeing more than there actually is, or what?
BTW, I’m in up-state New York, so there’s no large Mexican-American Comunity here.
Umm… tequila?
It’s actually not Mexican Independence Day. That’s September 16. Cinco de Mayo celebrates the defeat of the Mexicans over the French in Puebla.
And yeah, it’s pretty much just an excuse to drink in the US. Frankly, I’m all for importing other countries’ holidays if it means more bar specials and excuses to drink.
It’s not even that. It’s the anniversary of a battle in which the Mexicans were victorious. (I’m not up on Mexican history,so I don’t know which one or against whom.)
As a native Southern Californian who was born in L.A. County, ‘grew up’ in San Diego, and moved to northern L.A. County, Cinco de Mayo just seems natural to me. Lots of Mexicans in SoCal.
Why is it popular nationwide in the U.S.? SoCal culture spreading (as everyone says it does) to the rest of the country? Or maybe people just needed another excuse to drink mass quantities of alcohol.
If everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, why can’t everybody be Mexican on Cinco de Mayo?
IMHO, any legit excuse for tamales is a good enough excuse for me.
Errr…
That should read, “Any legit excuse to EAT tamales”. Because tamales need no excusing. Unless they’re made with lots of beans.
I’m just diggin’ myself in deeper every second, aren’t I?
I’ve never made tamales, but I didn’t think that beans were involved at all.
Here’s a link to a history of Cinco de Mayo. The basics have already been touched on, but to boil it down, Mexico, relatively recently independent from Spain, was unable to fulfill its debt obligation. France, under the rule of Napoleon III, decided to invade Mexico and set up shop. The USA, while sympathetic, was unable to offer direct assistance because of our Civil War. So a small, ragtag army of Mexicans defeated the initial French invasion in Puebla. This ticked off Napoleon III and he sent another army which this time was successful and installed Archduke Maximillian of Austria as the new ruler of Mexico.
After the war ended the Americans did send help and Maximillian was deposed and executed. Supposedly Mexicans still appreciate our help in helping them to get free of European colonial rule. That’s the optimistic logic for why the holiday is celebrated in the USA.
The more cynical would say it has a lot more to do with Jose Cuervo, Dos Equis, Corona and Taco Bell’s marketing.
I love tamales. But they’re difficult to find. My godmother is Mexican and around Christmas, the whole clan would gather in her grandmother’s kitchen (and my mom went, too) and mass produce delicious homemade tamales. I used to get a baggie of 10-12 of them to take with me when I visited for the holidays.
I miss tamales. So good.
Sooo drunk right now. Happy Cinco de Mayo!
I just cracked open the first of the night myself. May even whip up a batch of margaritas. Would have made a mexican feast, but have too many left-overs to finish up.
Yeah, its an excuse to drink. What were you expecting?
Did you put beans in them?
Also, DC should have some Mexican bodegas someplace (I’d try Adams Morgan). Check them out and ask if they ever sell tamales. I’ve found a lot of places do but often just certain times or you have to ask because they don’t expect everyone to want them.
I had a teacher’s aide who grew up and went to college in Mexico, and he told me that no one really pays attention to Cinco de Mayo there.
Seriously, it’s a big deal in America because the people who wanted a Chicano day thought that September 16 was too soon to get the schoolteachers on board with a program. Some districts would have been in session only about a week and a half.
FTR, I’ve never eaten or even seen or heard of a tamale that had beans in it.
No, no beans. Never heard of that.
Heh, I live right around Adams Morgan, I never even thought to look there. I’ve found a couple of places, but they aren’t as good as the homemade ones.
Well, that’s almost always going to be true. That’s why I said to check the bodegas, it’s usually someone making them on the side in their own kitchen.
Maybe. Mostly it’s marketing of beer. I grew up in San Diego, and nobody ever celebrated it when I was a kid. Now the largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in the country, maybe in the world, is in downtown L.A., and it’s mainly a huge PR fest to target Spanish-speaking consumers. They have some entertainment, but a much greater presence of AT&T, Western Union, etc.
Oh shoot. No, no beans in tamales, I was making a joke. And I knew it wasn’t a very good one, but I didn’t think it was THAT bad.
I’ll go now.
Right after I taunt you all with the fact that I have a Mexican neighbor with whom I trade baked mostaccoli for authentic, really wonderful tamales about twice a month.
Ouch. 
Too bad you’re not closer. I like mostaccoli (and tamales), and shrimp, salmon and crab season is coming up.
Croooooooooooak.
It’s 4:18am eastern, and I just got off work at Don Pablo’s Mexican Kitchen. Man, it would have been so much cooler to party at my resteraunt than work there tonight. We had the parking lot gated,set up live music on a stage, and had taco, hot dog, pizza, and beer stands. There was dancing, women acting Bi-sexual to get the attention of men, and the music wasn’t too bad either. From the inside of the resteraunt looking out, I was reminded of the climax of every Zombie movie ever made where the heroes are trapped inside a building in which a massive, thick army of zombies are stumbling outside trying to get in. Pure madness all around, and cleaning up the outside afterwards was like trying to vacuum the Sahara. From what I’ve been told, my tip out for bussing is supposed to be pretty damn good.
Shockingly enough, time went by wicked fast. It was over before I knew it.
I’m going to bed now. I need to wake up in five hours to work some more.
I was vaguely aware of Cinco de Mayo growing up in New Mexico. I was always kind of annoyed that Mexican culture was forced on me while not making any real attempt to make me feel like it was part of MY culture when I was there, so I made a point of not paying attention.
I never cared that much about Tamales, they are ok, and I’ve had good homemade ones, but they never thrilled me. Don’t get me wrong, I grew up on good Mexican food. You haven’t had Mexican food til you’ve had New Mexico Green Chile. Try going to NM in October when the Green Chile is roasting. Oh my god it’s so fucking good.
However, now that I am in NY, it’s an excuse to party cuz it’s one of my best friend’s birthdays. He’s from Texas, so there is a little bit of commonality there with the whole southwest thing, so I am slightly more aware of it than I ever was before. Being that it’s 5/5/05 is pretty cool. 
Erek