Happy Cinco de Mayo!
I feel like I should offer you a bit of history before the tequila starts flowing. I mean, if you’re going to be celebrating, at least know what happened.
[side note: yes, I know that I’m interrupting a birthday trip but needs must, as I would feel neglectful if I didn’t mention it. Okay, okay and I found a hilarious shirt I wanted to share with you (two actually–the other I posted on ShezzaSpeak).]
Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexican Independence Day (that’s September 16th). May 5th aka Cinco de Mayo aka El Día de la Batalla de Puebla was an important victory by the Mexicans against French troops, who outnumbered the Mexicans 2:1. It is said to be the start of the Mexican resistance to French rule in Mexico.
There’s more stuff, but I know that at this point, you’re trying to decide if you want to start with cerveza, progress to margaritas and end with tequila or just start with the inevitable?
History lesson over: go drink some tequila!
Salud!
The Epicurious Texan 
The French outnumbered the Mexicans but the Mexicans were entrenched behind strong walls and the French madly charged to be shot in open space .
The thing that amazes me is that nobody in the States seems to know that after this failure the French came back, took the city of Puebla, then other cities, then Mexico City then all Mexico . People in the Fox News US like to think the French lost this war and they don’t care about real history . The French stayed there from 1863 to 1867 and left without having lost a single battle just because meanwhile in Europe the mighty Prussia, after having defeated the powerful Austrian Empire , was becoming frightening for France (and not because of a US intervention as Americans like to write sometimes) .
All of this is very easy to research and check .
Choosing a unique victory of a lost war as a national feast always appeared strange to me . But to be true in Mexico it’s only a little local celebration around Puebla itself . It is only a famous day in the USA, and it’s easy since Americans don’t give a sh.. about historical facts .
Thank you for taking the time to share all this information! I’m not sure what is more surprising to me every year–the number of people who think it’s Mexican Independence Day and/or have no clue Mexico was ruled by the French OR the fact that I’m shocked by this every year!
So you are not an average dumb, racist and Tea Party Texan . Good to know you exist …
Thankfully my parents taught me to think for myself. And there are quite a few of us out there, we’re just sadly outnumbered by those happy to broadcast their ignorance to world…
You know, I did a long road trip around the USA in 79, sleeping in the old car, rather dirty and long haired . The only place I had trouble and felt a lil anxious was Texas . Fortunately I didn’t know Easy Rider yet .