Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Today is the fifth of may, which means that literally hundreds of thousands of people are celebrating with tequila, dos equis, and any other fun Mexican alcohol they can get their hands on. Today is a day of consuming yummy enchiladas, chile rellenos, and massive amounts of chips and salsa.

So in honor of this amazing day that happens to involve some of my favorite foods, I've decided to clear up a little misconception regarding cinco de Mayo.


You see, most people think that today is Mexico's independence day. Not so. Cinco de Mayo does celebrate independence for Mexico , but its actual "independence day" is September 16th. Cinco de Mayo celebrates the success of a major battle against the French:

"Under Napoleon III, French troops began at the shore and tried to make their way to Mexico City. Before they could get to the capital, they were stopped at the state of Puebla, where a major battle took place on May 5, 1862: La Batalla de Puebla.

Outnumbered and outarmed, the Mexican soldiers at Puebla, under the command of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin, managed to defeat the French forces. Ultimately, the Mexican victory at Puebla only delayed the French invasion of Mexico city, and a year later, the French occupied Mexico. But the Mexican men who fought at Puebla nonetheless defied the odds to defend its independence. Cinco de Mayo celebrates that bravery and determination, and commemorates Mexico's fight to ward off imperialist forces" (http://people.howstuffworks.com/cinco-de-mayo1.htm, retrieved 5/5/08)."

I hope this enlightens you a little more about this wonderful cerveza-drinking, enchilada-consuming day. Have a happy Cinco de Mayo, and watch out for those chiles!