Top Seven Facts about Cinco de Mayo
Following the joy that accompanies Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be with you!), we can all be very excited about Cinco de Mayo. This is a holiday most of us observe with a simple remembrance of elementary Spanish (“Oh yeah, that’s May 5th), so in case you’re somewhat rusty on your Cinco de Mayo particulars, here are a few facts about the holiday for your reading pleasure!
• Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day. That’s not til September 16th.
• The world’s largest Cinco de Mayo celebration takes place in Los Angeles, and is known as Fiesta Broadway.
• Cinco de Mayo commemorates an unlikely victory between the Mexicans and the French at the Battle of Pueblo; the highly-trained
French army, outnumbering the Mexicans four to one, were totally defeated by the Mexicans, most of whom had little to no military training.
• Americans consume up to 81 million avocados on Cinco de Mayo, according to the California Avocado Commission.
• In 1893, the very first Cinco de Mayo celebration is said to have taken place in southern California, a tradition mostly followed today by Americans with Mexican heritage.
• Cinco de May isn’t just an American holiday; it’s also celebrated in Australia and Canada, as well as various countries in the Caribbean.
• Cinco de Mayo’s a much bigger deal in the United States than it really is in Mexico. Which is ironic, if you think about it, as Mexicans had a rather large role in the formulation of the holiday in the first place.
And, since we all love to eat, make sure you stop by the DC tomorrow night during the dinner period. The History Department, the Office of Multi-Cultural Affairs, and the International Affairs Board of GCSA are coming together to sponsor a Multi-Cultural Festival for us, and it’s going to honor Cinco de Mayo with a special meal. The History of Mexico and the World Regional Geography classes will have cultural displays to enjoy, and there’ll be plenty of good food and company.
So, remember. Tuesday night at the DC, good food, fun displays, a great time! Hope to see you there!