Yes, Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday. But every French-hater should also celebrate. Because the 5th of May is all about the day in 1810 that the Mexican beat up on the French!!!

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!

Hola Amigos,
Cinco de Mayo is a big dealo here in Tejas.
Parades, candy, music, food. Hmm-mmm!
Tex-Mex for dinner tonight!

You really don't know your history do you. Cinqo de Mayo celebrates a battle that took place in 1862. And for Mexico it was only a temporary victory as France came back the next year, won quite handily, and stayed for four years with a puppet Austrian monarch. They left on their own accord in 1867 due to growing pressure from Prussia on the European stage. Mexico won this battle, but they lost the war. If you feel like this is a holiday worth celebrating go ahead, but historically this battle did nothing in the long term to stop French occupation of Mexico.

You really don't know your history do you

I was once in Cancun, Mexico, and from what I've seen I wouldn't expect most American college students drinking themselves silly to know the history of their own State, let alone world history.

Hola Senors,
What part of "Mexican holiday" escapes your comprehension?

That émigres from there brought this festive tradition with them and that they continue to celebrate it only adds to the richness of the fabric of America. We've absorbed a lot of great party-times into our culture, like some little fete called Mardi Gras.

And indeed Cinco de Mayo is very important, if one were to judge by the party put on by the Hispanic community of my town. Parade, food, music and more offered up to one and all in the town square. If it is so happily celebrated here, imagine the enthusiasm it receives in Mexico proper.

So, next May, Justin why don't you just go visit there and enlighten the locals as to their error? Be sure to brush up on your Spanish, because for certain, they won't be speaking French.

M. Justin Paul,

Actually, we do know our history and the history of Cinco de Mayo.

Your argument seems to be with the Mexicans, who delight in having won a battle with little against the French with much.

Of course, you probably celebrate the grander movements in human achievement, like the storming of the Bastille. Alas, aside from goosing the bloodlust of the French mob, this mob theatre materially accomplished little other than the murders of Bernard René Jourdan, the marquis de Launay, and Major de Losme Salbrai. But French murder is so much more glorious than Mexican bravery.

Please drop by again to sneer. We so do enjoy folk who claim to know their history while missing the point.

Regards,
DGB

Everyone knows the storming of the Bastille is largely symbolic, Damian. And of course it has absolutely nothing to do with simple historical facts given to you, as you seem to have a severe aversion for "context".