Ah, once again the calendar page makes a stop at May 5th, another drinking holiday speedbump on the annual trip thru the year. Bars are happy, cops are on patrol, courtrooms will soon have full dockets of drunk drivers once again.
The title of my post is misspelled on purpose. It’s the punchline to a horribly bad joke:
Most people don’t know that back in 1912, Hellman’s mayonnaise was manufactured in England. The “Titanic” was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after New York City.
The Mexican people were eagerly awaiting delivery and were disconsolate at the loss. So much so that they declared a national day of mourning which they still observe today. It is known, of course, as Sinko de Mayo.
Not that it should really be needed, but snopes.com issued a rumor buster about that joke.
A popular explanation offered for why Americans celebrate May 5th as a holiday of sorts is that it’s Mexico’s Independence Day. Not true. Mexico’s Independence Day is September 16th, the most important national holiday in Mexico.
In fact, it may not even be celebrated in all parts of Mexico. Puebla is primarily the Mexican state where the most celebrations take place. I’ll defer to Wikipedia’s entry for the real reason May 5th is a big deal.
Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for “5th of May”) is a regional holiday in Mexico, primarily celebrated in the state of Puebla. It is not an obligatory federal holiday. The holiday commemorates an initial victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín over French forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.
Now, how is it that a celebration based mostly in the middle of Mexico makes a leap into fame as one of America’s drinking holidays? Who knows?
Posted in Goofy Stuff, Hmmm...
