People worldwide celebrate festivals and holidays to express their glorious past, rich heritage, and unique cultures. They are a means for rejoicing in special and unique instances in our lives. They also play a crucial role in adding stability to the structure of our social lives and connecting us with our past.
Cinco de Mayo is one occasion when the public holiday has been observed across the United States since the 1800s. In today’s blog post, we will discuss Cinco de Mayo, its history, cultural significance, and its different ways of celebrating. So, don’t go anywhere and read on.
Why Do Mexicans Celebrate Cinco De Mayo?
There are many misconceptions regarding the reason behind the celebration of Cinco de Mayo among the masses. Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexican victory over French armies in the battle of Puebla that happened in 1862.
It must be noted that Cinco de Mayo does not commemorate the Mexican independence day or fiestas. It’s when Mexico got its freedom from Spain in the year 1810.
Cinco De Mayo Celebration In America
Although Cinco de Mayo is purely a Mexican festival, it is also celebrated in the southern states of the united states of America. The southern states of America, including California, were a part of Mexico fourteen years before the Battle of Puebla was fought. In 1848, the previously Mexican citizens were forced to become American after the infamous treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
Frank d. Roosevelt was the first American president who allowed the US newspapers to cover Cinco de Mayo. It was actually a part of his strategy to bring the Latin American countries close to the united states of America. He implemented the Good neighbor policy in 1933.
A report published by the journal of American culture in 2006 revealed more than 150 official Cinco de mayo events held in 21 different states of America.
Ways Of Celebrating Cinco De Mayo
With the passage of time and the advent of modernization, the holiday of Cinco de Mayo has been commercialized a lot.
The majority of the people celebrate it by wearing traditional clothes and consuming tequila, margaritas, tex-mex, and Mexican food. However, without the mole poblano, the celebration of the festival is considered incomplete. Mole is a well-known dish made and loved by people of Mexican origin worldwide. Mole has its roots in pre-Hispanic culture and society. The word mole is derived from the Aztec word “mulli,” which means “sauce.”
How Is Mole Poblano Prepared?
Mole poblano is a gravy-like sauce served along with pork, turkey, or chicken. There are different varieties of mole poblano. Each recipe has a different combination of chilies, spices, roasted nuts, pepitas, raisins, tomatoes, garlic, onions, chocolate, bits of corn tortilla, and ground toasts.
Due to the extensive work needed to make it, most Mexicans don’t make it at home. It is readily available across the restaurants in Southern America.
The bottom line, the cultural importance of Cinco De Mayo cannot be neglected. That’s why Mexicans worldwide must know the real reason behind its celebration.