Dwain Northey (Gen X)

A common misconception is that Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexico’s independence from Spain, but Mexico’s Independence Day is Sept. 16. May 5, rather, honors Mexico’s unlikely victory over France in the 1862 Battle of Puebla, where Mexican forces were largely outnumbered.

For Mexico, it was like the biblical battle of David and Goliath.

While Mexico’s President at the time, Benito Juarez, declared Cinco De Mayo a national holiday, Mexico’s Independence Day, Sept. 16th, remains a much more important holiday south of the border.

UCLA researchers say Cinco De Mayo’s popularity in the U.S. began in California during our own civil war in the 1860s as a response to the resistance against continued European efforts to colonize Latin America.

It also tied in with support of the Union in the U.S. Civil War.

It then became an important symbol to the Chicano movement which began in California in the 1940s and eventually spread across the country.

Finally, Cinco De Mayo became a party holiday in the U.S. starting in the 1970s and ’80s when beer companies began marketing to our nation’s growing Latino and Spanish-speaking population.

May the 5^th in the United States is as significant as March 17^th, why you ask… because its one more excuse for Americans to drink and act the fool and demonstrate their innate prejudice of another culture.

What do Americans do on Cinco De Mayo? Wear sombreros, drink Corona’s and Tequila and eat tacos.

What do Americans do on St Patrick’s day? Wear green, drink green beer and eat corned beef and cabbage.

Not all Mexican’s wear sombreros, drink Tequila and Mexican beer and eat Tacos, just like not all Irish are redheads’ drunks. I know the holidays are in good fun, but neither are really celebrated in the countries that Americans attribute them to.

There are other holidays around the world but here in the United States we choose to ignore them. Does anyone know what Boxing Day is? It is a day that is recognized in many other places but seemingly completely ignored here in the States.

Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to poor people, today Boxing Day forms part of Christmas celebrations, with many people choosing to take advantage of Boxing Day sales. It originated in Great Britain and is celebrated in several countries that previously formed part of the British Empire. The attached bank holiday or public holiday may take place on 28 December if necessary to ensure it falls on a weekday. Boxing Day is also concurrent with the Christian festival Saint Stephen’s Day.

In parts of Europe, such as several regions of Spain, he Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Hungary, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Belgium, Norway, and Ireland, 26 December is Saint Stephen’s Day, which is considered the second day of Christmas.

This would seem to be a day we would acknowledge since per capita we are the wealthiest nation on earth. Why isn’t this a day we celebrate or participate in? Probably because it is more about giving and not drinking or exploiting stereotypes.

I am not suggesting that we should stop celebrating obscure holidays that really are not important in their ‘countries of origin”.  I am, although, implying that reinforcing stereotypes isn’t the best way to endear yourself to a culture you are pretending to celebrate.

Maybe this year incorporate Boxing Day into your holiday tradition and reach out to someone in need. Have your drinking days but one day a year think about someone outside yourself and celebrate a new holiday.