Dear reader, allow me to temporarily renounce my titles of blogger, writer and teacher and talk to you strictly as a Mexican. And not just that, but as a Mexican who lives right at the border with the US and has close encounters with both cultures on a daily basis. Clearing doubts regarding the most misunderstood event in Mexican history is something that I am very passionate and care very deeply about, and I'm here to personally talk to you about Cinco de Mayo.
Let's start with a fact: Mexico's Independence Day is September 16th. It may seem like a random statement that I decided to open with, but it surely got the wheels turning for more than one person. That's right: we did not become an independent country on May 5th.
Cinco de Mayo, which literally is us saying the date out loud in Spanish, is not a very celebrated holiday in its country of origin. In Mexico, even when given the day off, we go on with our normal lives, realizing that our upstairs neighbors are partying hard in our honor.
Now, just like we know that Taco Bell is not real Mexican food when we visit their drive-thru at midnight, there's a huge chance that, while Americans celebrate our beautiful country like there's no tomorrow, they are very well aware that it is not our independence what they're toasting to. Oh, and now that we are on the topic of drinks, this isn't the anniversary of the invention of the popular margarita either, which was born about 80 years later.
Why are we putting our sombreros on for, then?
(Photo credit: Pixabay)
At one point in my career, I had to teach a Social Studies course, which armed me with a stock of mighty interesting information as a result of endless hours of investigation. I became an endless source of random facts about events like the French Revolution, Luddism, and, of course, the Battle of Puebla that took place precisely on May 5th.
If you go online and search for this particular moment in Mexican history, the date is there and the countries involved will be the same, but, other than that, the specifics change constantly. The Mexican army had anywhere between 100 and 1,000 men, while the French had either 4,000 or 8,000. The fatalities vary as well.
There are two possible reasons for the French army already being there: either to collect a debt or, since they had already invaded Spain at the time, it was only logical that they tried to gain New Spain's territory as well. The latter being considered the most likely.
(Photo credit: National Geographic)
Word came from Veracruz that French soldiers were on their way to Mexico City and planning an invasion. A group of men gathered whatever weapons they could find, set a line of defense in Puebla, and waited in trenches, ready to protect their country at all cost. Up until this day, one can visit the ruins of the trenches. There are tour guides that take you around the battlefield, explaining how brave men, with nothing but pride and love for their country, managed to prevent the greatest army of the time, one that hadn't been defeated in over 50 years, from invading Mexican land.
While doing my research, I came across a few interesting pieces of information. The most fascinating one says that, yes, Veracruz sent the warning of the moving army, Puebla did guard the path towards the capitol, yet the French never showed up. A win by default is still a win, right? So, technically, the battle did in fact end in our favor with zero men lost.
Another narrative states that the French army had no idea the trek was going to be so long. By the time they reached land they were tired and weak with hunger. That's how the Mexican army was able to overpower them.
Many tales about this moment are going to circle around, even more nowadays with the infinite flow of information that can be found on the internet. And, even if only a parade in the city of Puebla commemorates this battle, our country is proud to have defended our land.
On May 5th, 1862, a poorly equipped Mexican army defeated the French empire when trying to invade Puebla. It became an epic story, filling us with pride and hope, lifting our spirits and strengthening our morale. Even now, over 150 years later, when I'm having a bad day my mom reminds me that, if that tiny wretched army beat the French, I can make it through any situation.
