The nineteenth century was a year of almost constant war for Mexico. One of those wars was against the French who invaded the country because Mexico’s president, Benito Juarez, refused to pay its debts to France. Secretly, though, the French dreamt of expanding their empire, installing a puppet ruler, and then marching northward to assist the Confederacy in the Civil War.

Before that was possible, the French army needed to capture Mexico City. To do that, they needed to pass through Puebla. The invading forces, 6,000 strong, expected this to be easy. They did not expect to get their butts whooped by a band of 2,000 poorly outfitted Mexicans, mostly indigenous villagers and South Texas vaqueros, under the command of 32-year-old Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza. That skirmish is called the Battle of Puebla. It occurred on May 5, 1862.

Its more common name is Cinco de Mayo, a minor holiday in Puebla, where it is commemorated with parades and reenactments. It’s not a federal holiday. It’s not Mexico’s Independence Day. In fact, Mexicans across the republic don’t even get the day off. North of the Rio Grande and across the globe it’s another story.

Cinco de Mayo is as much about heroics as St. Patrick’s Day is about a holy man. Both are the result of well-executed campaigns that turned specific holidays into drinking amateur hour. But this isn’t an episode about vomiting on the steps of St. Patrick’s Cathedral—yes, I’ve witnessed that. This is about May 5, which Isidro and I call Cinco de Gringo.

FACO

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TAQUOTE

If you live life as if your next taco will be your last, one day you will be right!

SOCIAL MEDIA

Isidro Salas: @10ktacos

José Ralat: @tacotrail

LINKS

https://www.caller.com/story/news/2018/05/14/significance-cinco-de-mayo-and-its-south-texas-connection/609369002/

https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/the-hero-of-cinco-de-mayo-was-a-texan/

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/cinco-de-mayo

https://news.utexas.edu/2016/05/05/cinco-de-mayo-and-the-battle-of-puebla-have-relevance-today/

https://vinepair.com/wine-blog/how-corona-made-cinco-de-mayo-an-american-holiday/

https://txglo.medium.com/the-texas-hero-of-cinco-de-mayo-ignacio-zaragoza-and-the-origins-of-the-celebration-8e1e3df27118

https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/fiestas-patrias-and-cinco-de-mayo