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Feliz 5 de mayo

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A

alfredofroylan

Member
Well happy "5 de mayo", it's a great day to conmemorate our identity as mexicans and celebrate together, that's of course if you live in the United States... or the mexican state of Puebla.

What's 5 de mayo?
This day we celebrate the victory of General Ignacio Zaragoza over the french army back in 1862, the invaders stormed the forts of Loreto and Guadalupe during the French Intervention of 1961, short story Mexico had a lot of debts and in 1861 the president Benito Juarez decided the suspension of payments to Spain, the United Kingdom and France. France decided to invade the country on March 5th of 1862, General Charles de Lorencez was at charge.
43847_60eebb7ad4.jpg



So Mexico won this war?
Heck no, after the Battle of Puebla Mexico had a hard time getting things together, Zaragoza died shortly after the battle due typhoid fever, and the french returned with reinforcements in october of the same year. By December they controled a huge portion of the Northeast and took Mexico city on June of 1863, they were supported by a lot of conservative mexicans that were upset with Benito Juárez. (mostly clerics)
128416685665.jpg



Why Mexico doesn't have a monarchy or rich french heritage then?
Many things. After the french took over the capital we got a brand new emperor. Maximilian I (brother of Franz Joseph I) the problem was that Mexican conservatives were expecting a conservative monarch and instead they got a liberal man that supported religious freedom, right to vote and education. It didn't help that France decided to withdrawal their troops in 1866 following the Austro-Prussian war and the end of the American civial war in 1866. Still there're some french influence in México like the "Colonia Juárez" in Mexico City
Maximiliano%252B4.jpg



So the "5 de mayo" celebrated in the USA is different from the one celebrated in Mexico?
Yup. Don't expect parties, or parades or anything than a small ceremony at the nearest Ignacio Zaragoza's statue or bust, well except Puebla. The state host representatoins of the battle and more activities to do this day.
20288_1.jpg
 
S

SalvaPot

Member
People care far more about 10 de Mayo than 5 de Mayo here in Mexico.

I find it funny. But we never say no to an excuse to PARTY.
 
F

freenudemacusers

Member
will hit up my local aztecha, order myself a #3 with extra refried beans and rice, and get myself a double margarita to celebrate my people's victory.
 
C

CarpeDeezNutz

Member
"5 De Mayo" is like the day of the dead where they make a big deal in the us but I never heard shit about it when I lived in Juarez.
 
A

Ally of Justice

Member
Should be an observed day so we could have a long weekend... but for that, it should be considered an official holiday too...

Anyway, I like how it has changed from the celebration of an unprepared and surprising victory to a Mexican Pride day in USA. It's kinda weird, coming and living in Mexico, but having so much contact with Americans and such.

Anyway, Happy Cinco de Mayo.
 
T

The Albatross

Member
Interesting read, thanks for the info!

As an Irish American who has always been welcoming of the non-Irish Americans on St. Patrick's Day, I've appreciated being welcomed to my local tacqueria on Cinco De Mayo. But I echo the other posts above, growing up, I had never heard of Cinco De Mayo (It's also my father's birthday), and it didn't really seem like "a thing" until I was in college and we'd look for any excuse to drink.
 
N

Naughty_Doge

Member
I'm genuinely curious as to why people in the US celebrate 5 de mayo. I know it's mostly an excuse to drink tequila and what not as posted above, but you would think they'd pick a better excuse like 16 de septiembre (independence day). Here nobody celebrates 5 de mayo besides Puebla.
 
P

Prelude

Member
I always think of 5 de mayo as an american celebration. In Mexico the 10th of May and 16th of September are more important
 
R

RM8

Member
I have never seen anyone celebrate 5 de mayo. I got the day off, but it's not a celebration, really.
 
A

Alex_Mexico

Member
Out of all Mexican holidays the U.S. could've chosen to adopt it always boggles my mind why did they go for such a lowly one like this one.

I can't stress enough how little people care about this day (outside of the city of Puebla). It's not even a work holiday! The last time I skipped school in Cinco de Mayo I was in junior high! After that it's been business as usual on May 5.

Hell, the anniversary of said ex Mexican president Benito Juarez's birth is more celebrated (with an actual work holiday) than May 5!

And don't get me started on the Americans who think it's our Independence Day. That's September 16, our crown jewel of patriotic holidays. Why the U.S. didn't adopt that day instead I'll never know.
 
A

Alex_Mexico

Member
RM8 said:
I have never seen anyone celebrate 5 de mayo. I got the day off, but it's not a celebration, really.
Click to expand...
Where are you located? Puebla? Here in Monterrey I stopped having the day off on this date since high school. Nobody stops working on May 5.
 
R

RM8

Member
Alex_Mexico said:
Where are you located? Puebla? Here in Monterrey I stopped having the day off on this date since high school. Nobody stops working on May 5.
Click to expand...
Toluca, but I'm from Mexico City and I think it's the same over there. FWIW I work in government, lol.
 
C

Cormano

Member
Funny how in Mexico we don't really care about this holiday as much as Americans do. We only care here because we don't have to work or go to school.
 
A

Alex_Mexico

Member
RM8 said:
Toluca, but I'm from Mexico City and I think it's the same over there. FWIW I work in government, lol.
Click to expand...
Ah that explains it! If a fly smashes your window ou guys don't go to work! It's gotten less exagerated but back in the PRI-only days government workers grabbed any excuse to skip work. Of course you get 5th of May off haha.
 
B

Barajas_201

Member
Mexicans compatriots, if you could stop downplaying the significance of 5 de Mayo, that would be great, as for Americans, please continue to enjoy getting drunk.

OP forgot to mention that during that time, France was the most powerful country in the world, with 50 consecutive years of not losing a single battle until 5 de Mayo. To quote Zaragoza:

Puede ser que ellos sean el mejor ejército del mundo. Pero nosotros somos los mejores hijos de México.
Click to expand...

Translation: "They might be best army in the world. But we are the best sons of Mexico."

The French were so arrogant that the thought of Mexico, an insignificantly newly formed country in the Americas, would even stand a chance against the best of the best, the French Foreign Legion, was laughable. With all the odds against us, fighting barefoot, outnumbered, and outgunned, we still won. When we broke their 50 year streak, the French got serious, and sent 10 times more troops on the second battle of Puebla a year later, which we resisted 62 days, but ultimately we lost the battle but not the war. OP what is that nonsense of losing the war? Juarez continued the war from Chihuahua (there is a reason why Cuidad Juarez exist in Chihuahua) using guerrilla tactics in a war of attrition, in the end the Liberals won and a federal republic was established ones and for all. So please, don't be self hating Mexicans, we do have heroes in our history. To close out, Zaragoza's words after the battle:

Las armas nacionales se han cubierto de gloria. Las tropas francesas se portaron con valor en el combate y su jefe con torpeza.
Click to expand...

Translation: "The national arms have been covered with glory. The French troops behaved with courage under fire and their leader with obtuseness."
 
T

The Albatross

Member
Alex_Mexico said:
Out of all Mexican holidays the U.S. could've chosen to adopt it always boggles my mind why did they go for such a lowly one like this one.

I can't stress enough how little people care about this day (outside of the city of Puebla). It's not even a work holiday! The last time I skipped school in Cinco de Mayo I was in junior high! After that it's been business as usual on May 5.

Hell, the anniversary of said ex Mexican president Benito Juarez's birth is more celebrated (with an actual work holiday) than May 5!

And don't get me started on the Americans who think it's our Independence Day. That's September 16, our crown jewel of patriotic holidays. Why the U.S. didn't adopt that day instead I'll never know.
Click to expand...

Probably because, like many holidays, it fits a convenient time in the calendar. Why do people celebrate Irish ancestry and heritage on the Feast of St. Patrick, a guy who wasn't Irish and had nothing to do with the founding of any contemporary Ireland? Why is the day for Italian Americans Columbus Day, an explorer who never set foot on mainland United States and who was shunned by his own countrymen and had to seek funding from Spain? Because they fit a date on the calendar, fit a narrative, and over the years, people associate something with it.
 
A

alfredofroylan

Member
Barajas_201 said:
The French were so arrogant that the thought of Mexico, an insignificantly newly formed country in the Americas, would even stand a chance against the best of the best, the French Foreign Legion, was laughable. With all the odds against us, fighting barefoot, outnumbered, and outgunned, we still won. When we broke their 50 year streak, the French got serious, and sent 10 times more troops on the second battle of Puebla a year later, which we resisted 62 days, but ultimately we lost the battle but not the war. OP what is that nonsense of losing the war? Juarez continued the war from Chihuahua (there is a reason why Cuidad Juarez exist in Chihuahua) using guerrilla tactics in a war of attrition, in the end the Liberals won and a federal republic was established ones and for all.
Click to expand...
Fair enough, but the whitdrwal of the french was a much bigger factor than the guerrilla tactics, and even more, the most important liberal army "El ejercito de Oriente" was commanded by this man
porfirio_sepia.JPG

Later he become this
245px-Porfirio_Diaz_in_uniform.jpg

Porfirio Díaz, one of our favorite "villians" was a key element in the victory over the french... but we usually don't remember that.
 
L

Ledbetter

Member
I think the history of 5 de mayo is nice, but here no one celebrates it. About national days, I think the only ones that are celebrated properly are September 16th (Independence) and November 20th (Revolution).

Mully said:
Happy Drinko De Mayo!
Click to expand...

I was going to post that. But hey, let's keep celebrating!

Cormano said:
Funny how in Mexico we don't really care about this holiday as much as Americans do. We only care here because we don't have to work or go to school.
Click to expand...

But I had to go to classes today :(
 
M

Mimosa97

Member
Barajas_201 said:
OP forgot to mention that during that time, France was the most powerful country in the world, with 50 consecutive years of not losing a single battle until 5 de Mayo. To quote Zaragoza:



Translation: "They might be best army in the world. But we are the best sons of Mexico."

The French were so arrogant that the thought of Mexico, an insignificantly newly formed country in the Americas, would even stand a chance against the best of the best, the French Foreign Legion, was laughable. With all the odds against us, fighting barefoot, outnumbered, and outgunned, we still won. When we broke their 50 year streak, the French got serious, and sent 10 times more troops on the second battle of Puebla a year later, which we resisted 62 days, but ultimately we lost the battle but not the war. OP what is that nonsense of losing the war? Juarez continued the war from Chihuahua (there is a reason why Cuidad Juarez exist in Chihuahua) using guerrilla tactics in a war of attrition, in the end the Liberals won and a federal republic was established ones and for all. So please, don't be self hating Mexicans, we do have heroes in our history. To close out, Zaragoza's words after the battle:



Translation: "The national arms have been covered with glory. The French troops behaved with courage under fire and their leader with obtuseness."
Click to expand...

Story of our lives lol

Thank you for your insight. I'm French and I know almost nothing about the mexican war. They don't teach us that stuff in school. I wonder why ...

The foreign legion was in fact the most feared " army " in the World at the time. Which makes the mexican win even more glorious.

The Mexican War was the beginning of the end for us. A few years later we would lose the franco-prussian war :( Still hurts :(
 
W

Winterfang

Banned
We had a little 5 de Mayo Celebration in my work today. We have Nachos and Cheese for everyone, I worked with a Luchador Mask on. It was really funny.
 
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