Mexican victory celebration now perfect reason for American revelry

BOARDMAN

Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexican army’s victory over French invaders at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 – unless you’re American, in which case it celebrates an evening between St. Patrick’s Day and the Fourth of July on which public intoxication is socially acceptable.

In the grand American tradition of taking something from somewhere else and mutating it into something profitable, Cinco de Mayo has become one of the U.S.’s premiere drinking holidays, often sponsored by Mexican beer companies like Dos Equis or tequila distillers like Patron.

Much like St. Patrick’s Day — the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was in New York, not Ireland, and was initially observed in Boston primarily by protestants, not Catholics — Cinco de Mayo in the United States has only tenuous ties to its historical roots.

But not all celebration of obscure cultural holidays need be cynical; two local Cinco de Mayo celebrations used the holiday for raising awareness and for culinary experimentation, as well as a bit of fun along the way.

Read more about them in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.