Hopefully you ate enchiladas 'till your heart's content and only had a couple of margaritas today. Cinco de Mayo, though very remotely connected to US history, has become a commercialized made-up holiday for many in the Unites States. As a Mexican-born and raised bi-cultural US citizen (Whew! That's a mouth full!) I'm still asking myself why this is so.

Unlike the parties, food and music which have typified Cinco de Mayo in the US, Mexico does not celebrate the glorious victory at the Battle of Puebla where only 4,000 or 5,000 badly-armed,  poorly-uniformed Mexican Indians crushed the already couture-savvy French battalion of 8,000 men in 1862. 

So why, then, is this day so revered in the neighboring country sharing a 2,000 mile long semi-militarized border with Mexico?

First, let's be clear, Cinco de Mayo is not Independence Day. Independence day is September 16th, and this is celebrated in Mexico  much like the 4th of July here, with fireworks and displays of military power. (Read a very simpatico summary of both events at Viva Cinco de Mayo). I have noted that with time, and probably due to the increase in the number of Mexican people living in the US, this quasi-holiday's miss-information is finally getting corrected across this country. Today, probably like every year, a couple of on-line publications (The Huffington Post and MTV), offered explanations for the revelry on this side of the border.

In short, Cinco de Mayo celebrates the "Batalla de Puebla", which is significant to Mexico because it demonstrated that it's people were capable of uniting and repudiating an unwanted foreign government. The inhabitants of the southern country came together to unquestionably squash Napoleon III who intended to rule their territory and sent a message to those across the Atlantic -- namely Spain --that they should not interfere with the young nation's sovereignty.

Beyond this, I can't seem to find an explanation for the rousing fiestas that go on in many places here. Some say it's just another excuse to party, or a marketing ploy to get us to go out to eat and drink -- these ideas are not too far fetched since we've also dominated the December holidays with over-commercialization.

Perhaps, one of the reasons for celebrating this otherwise low-key Mexican holiday is simply to add it to the long list of other countries who also celebrate holidays in the United States: St. Patrick's Day, Mardi Gras, Chinese New Year, etc.

Which brings me to the implied connection of the May Mexican celebration to the United States: the French. 

I do find the French-American-Mexican connection to this pseudo-holiday ironic given the current state of the US-Mexico border, and that the celebration over the defeat of the French by our neighbors to the south should be so rooted on this side of the fence.

I guess it's a good thing to have something in common -- friends usually do.

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

And as my countrymen would say: Cheers!