Why Is Cinco De Mayo Celebrated | Experts in México
27 Abr 2018
Learn more about Why Is Cinco De Mayo celebrated across the United States when its actually just one of the many battles, wars and conflicts that wrote the history of Mexico: The Battle of Puebla.
What happened at the Battle?
On the morning of May 5, 1862, the Mexican army under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated the French army. The battle arose due to Mexico's immense debt to France in the early 1860s, which led Napoleon III to make the decision to send troops to take Mexico City. While the victory was not so important in the global war, since the French won the following year, it represented "a great symbolic victory".
Why is it celebrated?
Nobody thought that the Mexicans would defeat the French army because they outnumbered them and were better equipped, but the Mexican forces were victorious. Since then, every 5th of May is celebrated in the city of Puebla this great victory, in the main streets of the center where mariachi bands play, dances and fireworks at night, gastronomic exhibitions, the military and civil parade, where thousands of residents participate and the famous representation of the battle in the Military Field of Puebla.
Why is it celebrated in the United States more than in Mexico?
In 1867, five years after the Battle of Puebla was held, a group of Mexicans celebrated that victory in Texas with songs and poetry, but it was not by chance that they celebrated in this place, since General Ignacio Zaragoza (the Chicano border), who defeated the French army in the battle was born there. From that year until the 1930s, the festivities of May 5 were organized in a popular way. But, in that decade, the Mexican consulate in Los Angeles, California, created an organization that would orchestrate patriotic celebrations in the United States, in order to "formalize" the patriotism of Mexican Americans and new Mexican immigrants.
Since then, cinco de mayo has become a widespread party in the United States, but especially for Mexicans and Mexican Americans living there, who celebrate that their country of origin freed itself from the oppressive yoke of "foreigners".
In the United States this festival is celebrated in the cities of Los Angeles where the Fiesta Broadway festival is organized, the largest American celebration of Cinco de Mayo that takes place on Broadway Avenue in Downtown; New York has added the date to its long list of parades; in Chicago and San Antonio special Mexican drinks and dishes are offered; while San Francisco and Denver organize exhibitions, events and stalls at Dolores Park and Central Civic Park respectively.
Did you know that it is one of the most popular Mexican celebrations in the world?
Not only is celebrated in Puebla and the United States on May 5, but also in other parts of the world such as Canada, some Caribbean nations, Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand, France, South Africa, Nigeria and Japan, where they are held parades, events or festivals, all of them bring out the mexican pride.Check Out This Other Mexican Fiestas That Are Much More Celebrated In Mexico.
México is known for its traditional festivities, where the heritage of its cultural and religious richness is expressed, with much color and hullabaloo, as is known to Mexicans. We mention some of the most important festivities:- Fiesta de la Candelaria
- Feria Nacional de San Marcos
- La Guelaguetza
- Fiestas de la Vendimia
- Feria de Huamantla
- Festival Internacional Cervantino
- Festival Internacional Santa Lucía
- Día de Muertos
