Aracely Saucillo (L) and Marilyn Castillo perform with Mexican Ballet Folclorico during Cinco De Mayo festivities in downtown Los Angeles in 2011. Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
You may notice signs sprinkled outside restaurants and bars advertising "Cinco de Drinko" specials today.
- While there's nothing wrong with celebrating the holiday by appreciating Mexican culture, here are a few details you should know about its origins:
Context: Incorrectly dubbed "Mexican Independence Day," Cinco de Mayo commemorates Mexico's victory against French troops sent by Napoleon III in the 1862 Battle of Puebla.
- Some historians believe France's loss stopped them from supplying weapons to the Confederacy during the U.S. Civil War, per Insider.
- By the 1980s, corporations and beer companies co-opted the day to reach the growing U.S. Hispanic market, Axios' Russ Contreras wrote.
- Besides the town of Puebla, the holiday is not widely celebrated in Mexico.
The latest: 161 years later, the holiday has been widely commercialized in America and reduced to a day when eateries offer taco and tequila deals.
My thought bubble: Acknowledge the history behind the holiday. If you're going to celebrate, ditch the sombrero and fake mustache.
Further reading: The forgotten anti-slavery history of Cinco de Mayo
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