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Friday, May 05, 2006

Cinco de Mayo & The Weekend Ahead


Hola Muchachos!! Hoy es Cinco de Mayo! Una dia mucho impotante para los Mexicanos y Norte Americanos.

Translation: Hello friends! Today is the 5th of May. An important day for Mexicans and North Americans. OK So my spanish is bad...but I had fun.  I could be fluent if I had people to talk to in spanish...My dad is Colombian afterall, so I have a natural tendancy to pick up the language...but enough about me...it's Cinco de Mayo!!

I thought in the spirit of the holiday I woud enlighten you all about why this day is so important to the Mexican heritage, as well as many Americans. This is from Wikipedia....

El Cinco de Mayo ("The Fifth of May" in Spanish) is a national celebration in Mexico. It commemorates the victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza over the French expeditionary forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

Historical Background

In 1861, in response to Mexico's refusal to pay off its debt, Britain, Spain and France sent troops to Mexico; they arrived in January of 1862. The new democratically-elected government of President Benito Juárez made agreements with the British and the Spanish, who promptly recalled their armies, but the French stayed, thus beginning the period of the French intervention in Mexico. Emperor Napoleon III wanted to secure French dominance in the former Spanish colony, including installing one of his relatives, Archduke Maximilian of Austria, as ruler of Mexico.

Confident of a quick victory, 6,500 French soldiers marched on to Mexico City to seize the capital before the Mexicans could muster a viable defense. Along their march, the French already encountered stiff resistance before Zaragoza struck out to intercept the invaders.

The battle between the French and Mexican armies occurred on May 5 when Zaragoza's ill-equipped militia of 4,500 men encountered the better-armed French force. However, Zaragoza's small and nimble cavalry units were able to prevent French dragoons from taking the field and overwhelming the Mexican infantry. With the dragoons removed from the main attack, the Mexicans routed the remaining French soldiers with a combination of their tenacity, inhospitable terrain, and a stampede of cattle set off by local peasants. The invasion was stopped and crushed.

Zaragoza won the battle but lost the war. The French Emperor, upon learning of the failed invasion, immediately dispatched another force, this time numbering 30,000 soldiers. By 1864, they succeeded in defeating the Mexican army and occupying Mexico City. Archduke Maximillian became Emperor of Mexico.

Maximilian's rule was short-lived. Mexican rebels opposed to his rule resisted, seeking the aid of the United States. Once the American Civil War was over, the U.S. military began supplying Mexicans with weapons and ammunition, and by 1867, the rebels finally defeated the French and deposed their puppet Emperor. The Mexican people then reelected Juárez as president.

Celebrations in North America

Cinco de Mayo is widely celebrated by Mexican-Americans and their descendants in the United States and Canada. Many cities with significant Mexican and Chicano populations throughout the US schedule special events on the 5th of May. In Los Angeles, most notably, revelers fill the streets in front of City Hall for speeches and performances by Mexican entertainers on this day.

Although the celebration of this holiday has historically been limited to Latin-American communities, particularly in the southwest, it has become increasingly popular across the US and Canada, and among all ethnic groups in the last 10 years. In recent years, it has been celebrated widely and in a similar style as St. Patrick’s Day — namely a celebration and identification with Mexicans, their culture, food, and music by Anglos and other unrelated ethnic groups. However, many Americans and Canadians have only a cursory understanding of the significance of this day; it is often mistakenly assumed to be Mexico’s independence day, and in practice, it is usually celebrated on a superficial level.

Wasn't that informative? I thought so.

Mimi is still in the hospital, but doing better.  I expect she will be home tonight or tomorrow at the VERY latest.  I think because t was major abdominal surgery, that is the only reason she is staying so long.  I am going to attempt to visit her tonight if she does stay overnight again....if I can get Emily out of the Kids Karnival in a decent amount of time...

This is a crazy/fun weekend for me! I am volunteering in Em's class today then Kids Karnival tonight. Tomorrow at 12 PM Emmy has a game.  Then I come home, change and head to RI to spend the night at Nessa's. We're going to drink, hang out, reminicse about our youths, and probably laugh so hard we almost pee our pants.  This is typical when I spend time with Nessa.  I CAN'T WAIT!!!  Sunday is Nessa's Engagement Party.  It's being thrown by her soon-to-be Mother-in-law.  Nevermind the fact that I am working on planning her Bridal Shower for NEXT MONTH! LOL...But Nessa says this is the way the woman is.  Wants to do things her way.  Whatever.  I'm going for my friend.  I am sure it will be lovely.....

So that's my weekend...hope all of you have a good one!

3 flame(s) added to the fire:

:P fuzzbox said...

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

B.R.L said...

Thankyou for the information. I was in the dark not much said about Cinco De Mayo up here.

Anonymous said...

WOOOHHHHHHOOOO!

I know you won't read this til you get home since you'll be here in like 5 minutes, but I'm so excited about tonight! I haven't had a girl's night in awhile, and lord knows you need it. Hey, we should crank call people we went to school with, just like old times. Only then, it was more like "um... Cissa's totally not on the other line or anything- so do you think she's pretty? Would you go out wiht her?" Ah, those were the days...