Cinco de Mayo

[smithmt]

This is for all you Gringos out there.
Cinco de Mayo, (May 5th) Is NOT the Mexican Independance Day! it is the celebration of Mexico's win in the Battle of Puebla against the French.

El Grito de Independencia, or Mexican Independence day is celebrated on diezyseis de Septiembre (16th of September)

I know this is not an activity for school, but Being surrounded by all these "Northerners" I needed to set this straight!

(By the way, if you were not BORN in Texas, you are a Yank... even if you're from the south... it's a whole 'nuther country)

[Stuka]

This is for all you Gringos out there.
(By the way, if you were not BORN in Texas, you are a Yank... even if you're from the south... it's a whole 'nuther country)

Thank you for that *yawn* wonderful history lesson!

:-) by the way, Gringo actually can from an Irish song having to do with "green grows the...." something very memorable I'm sure. I saw is on the history channel.

And you can be considered a Texan if you're transplanted long enough ago... maybe not in the back woods of Naco-freaking-nowhere where we went to school, but, Houston-ites would consider you Texan.

[Chef Dave]

If Cinco de Mayo isn't Mexican Independence Day, why is this day celebrated by so many Mexican Americans? My assistant manager is Mexican and she and her church are putting on a fiesta complete with all of the traditional foods ... tamales, enchiladas, burritos, frijoles refritos, etc.

And yes ... I know about stuffy Texans who were descended from the "Old Three Hundred." Their family's main claim to fame was that they're descended from one of the original 297 "empresarios" who received Mexican land grants in Tejas.

As told from the Mexican point of view, they subsequently violated the terms of their grants by refusing to learn Spanish, by not converting to Catholicism, and by not doing business with merchants in Mexico City.

When the Mexican Army came in to restore order ... they rebelled.

[Miss T]

I'm so excited about this thread!!! (I teach Spanish).

It's commemorating la Batalla de Puebla (Battle at Puebla) on May 5, 1862. The French went to Mexico to settle a debt and invaded. They had 6,000 troops. The Mexicans held them off with only 2,000. They won the battle, but not the war. The French ruled from 1862-1867 when Maximilian was overthrown and killed.

Mexican Americans also celebrate the friendly relationship between Americans and Mexicans.

To celebrate, my students are having a fiesta on Monday, with mariachi music, tacos, Spanish rice, tortillas, you name it (I'm sure a few brownies or cookies will get thrown in the mix too :-) ).

They're also making the flowers that Mexicans wear in their hair out of tissue paper and pipe cleaners. They're actually pretty neat looking.

[jsfowler]

When I was in high school, my cheerleading sponsor was also the spanish teacher. One year we had a "spanish" themed dance routine and performed it at a local Cinco de Mayo celebration. Fun times...

[Boxcar]

I'd forgetten this was coming up. (Right now, it is lucky if I remember what day of the week it is...) Thanks for the reminder.

[smithmt]

well, All I know is that the people up here have the Roman mentality about things...

" I don't care what it is... if your tradition says we must party, then we must!"

be sure to wear su guayabera y sombrero and enjoy a nice cold one (by the way, most of your Mexican beers were founded by German emigrants [Corona, Dos Equis, Modela Negro] so if your enjoying a Barley Pop, instead of saying Salud, maybe Prost is in order]

Cheers!

[MissTeach]

There were two big fiestas in our town this weekend, and our town is a small town! We are also going to have a special assembly at school tomorrow. Our Spanish classes will perform skits and Mexican dances. We have this every year. It gives our Mexican students a chance to share some of their culture and the other students a chance to get out of the classroom! Also, the Spanish classes bring traditional Mexican dishes and the teachers get to stop by and taste!!!

[JustTess]

This holiday makes me cringe :( ever since I asked one of my hispanic students when Cinco de Mayo was and she looked at me very confusingly. When she told me I blushed and she says, "That's OK Ms. 'Justtess'. When I was in 1st grade, I asked my teacher when was the 4th of July."

Gotta love kids.