# Why celebrate Cinco De Mayo? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 5, 2002, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-celebrate-cinco-de-mayo/107439 "2002-05-05T22:32:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-celebrate-cinco-de-mayo/107439/1 "2002-05-05T22:32:38Z")
I’m an American and I live in the great Southwest. Needless to say, Cinco De Mayo is a pretty big thing out here. Music, dancing, Dos Equis, the whole nine. What I cant figure out is why we celebrate losing land to Mexico? Do the British celebrate the Fourth of July? Did something else happen on the Fifth of May that we’re gearing the celebration towards? ---
**Author:** ![Baraqiyal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@Baraqiyal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baraqiyal)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-celebrate-cinco-de-mayo/107439/2 "2002-05-05T22:45:16Z")
1. It’s a good excuse to drink beer. 2. It’s about defeating the French (always a good cause), not losing land to Mexico. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-celebrate-cinco-de-mayo/107439/3 "2002-05-05T22:46:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by malkavia \* > \*\* What I cant figure out is why we celebrate losing land to Mexico? > > Do the British celebrate the Fourth of July? > > \*\* What on Earth are you talking about? Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday commemorating the victory of the forces of President Benito Juarez over an invading French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It has nothing to do with the U.S. The question of how this relatively minor Mexican holiday became “the” Mexican festival in the United States is another issue. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-celebrate-cinco-de-mayo/107439/4 "2002-05-05T22:47:16Z")
What land do you believe the U.S. “lost” to Mexico–at _any_ time? _Cinco de Mayo_ is a cultural festival. Since its celebration is fairly recent, I am curious as to why you have selected it to question rather than the Feast of the Assumption (popularly celebrated by Italian groups), Oktoberfest (celebrated by Germans), St. Patrick’s Day (Irish), St. Nicholas (Greeks), or Chinese New Year? The reason it is becoming more widely popular is that the Mexican immigrants have discovered (like their Italian, German, Irish, Greek, and Chinese, etc. predecessors), that opening up such celebrations to the public are good ways to sponsor fund-raising activities–festivals, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-celebrate-cinco-de-mayo/107439/5 "2002-05-05T22:53:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by malkavia \* > \*\*I’m an American and I live in the great Southwest. Needless to say, Cinco De Mayo is a pretty big thing out here. Music, dancing, Dos Equis, the whole nine. > > What I cant figure out is why we celebrate losing land to Mexico? Do the British celebrate the Fourth of July? > > Did something else happen on the Fifth of May that we’re gearing the celebration towards? \*\* WTF are you talking about? The US has never lost land to Mexico, and certainly not on May 5th. On 5/5/1862, Mexican forces defeated the French/partisan army of Maximilian, Napoleon III’s puppet in Mexico. Americans _could_ celebrate because we were relieved of a hostile power based on a vulnerable border during our own Civil War, but we really celebrate because it’s an excuse to eat Mexican food, drink Mexican liquor, and it’s easier to say than “dieciseis de septiembre.” ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-celebrate-cinco-de-mayo/107439/6 "2002-05-05T22:54:01Z")
Ooh. Ouch. Sorry, guys. My public schooling is showing through. I could’ve sworn it had something to do with Mexico fighting for some of its northern land. My mistake. As to why I chose to question Cinco De Mayo in particular, it’s -today-. Guh. _hobbles on back to her text books_ ---
**Author:** ![No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/no_me_ayudes_compadre/32/5224_2.png) [@No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Me_Ayudes_Compadre)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-celebrate-cinco-de-mayo/107439/7 "2002-05-05T23:58:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nametag \* > \*\* > > WTF are you talking about? The US has never lost land to Mexico, and certainly not on May 5th. > > \*\* _Actually…_ A 1970 treaty redetermined the international boundary jointly determined by the IBWC, due to the natural shifting of the Rio Grande/Colorado River waterway. The agreement effectively transferred 650 hectares to Mexico. The same treaty also transferred around 300 hectares of previously Mexican territory to the U.S., resulting in net “lost territory” for the United States, in favor of Mexico. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-celebrate-cinco-de-mayo/107439/8 "2002-05-06T00:30:55Z")
By God, does Pat Buchanan know about that?!? ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-celebrate-cinco-de-mayo/107439/9 "2002-05-06T01:51:01Z")
Uh… BEER!! Same reason for St. Patty’s day. Who the hell cares about the history. ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-celebrate-cinco-de-mayo/107439/10 "2002-05-06T02:15:18Z")
clayton\_e hit the nail on the head. I was going to chime in with the St. Paddy’s day reference. On that day, I’m Irish. Today, I’m proud to be Mexican (I’m Swiss). Might as well post my St Paddy’s song, since I’m hijacking with a “me too” post: (Get as drunk as you can, and sing:) ) Give Ireland back to the Irish, Give Lapland back to the Lapps. Give China back to the Chinese AND YOKO BACK TO THE JAPS!!! Please carry on with your regularly scheduled thread…