you're wrong. do your research.
People's ignorance astounds me, but never more than during the first week of May.
Cinco de Mayo:
1. Is NOT Mexican Independence day. I can't stress that enough. That's September 16. I saw a sign here announcing it was downstairs, near the other dorms. I wanted to stab things, mostly people.
2. You need a holiday as an excuse to drink? Really? Really?! Cos that's all it is to a majority of people who don't know wtf happened today.
3. No one in Mexico cares. Maybe just people in Puebla, but that's understandable since that's where the (soon to be explained) battle took place. Therefore, I've always been confused because this is just the most random day anyone could've picked to celebrate being Mexican, or drinking, or whathefuckever. Originally, the Chicano community wanted a day in which they could celebrate their heritage. So yeah, once upon a time it had some meaning, but now it's just an excuse to drink and no one knows anything.
History lesson:
In 1862, Napoleon III, taking advantage of the fact that the US was busy fighting a war with itself (and wouldn't try to intervene), and using the excuse that Mexico owed them monies (Mexico did, but they also owed Spain and Britain monies, but they came to agreements with the other two governments), decided it would be a good idea to expand his empire to Latin America and decided to invade Mexico. He eventually won and offered the Mexican Empire to Archduke Maximillian of Austria (a Habsburg), who accepted, but that was later.
Anyway, the French army was on its merry way to invade Mexico City, but they were defeated by General Igancio Zaragoza's very ragtag and very outnumbered troops (4500 vs. 8000), just outside of the city of Puebla. So it is an important day, history-wise. Mexico showed France they wouldn't just easily prance their way in, no matter what the cracked-out conservative royalists wanted, but then Zaragoza died of typhoid in September and the French set up their empire. But that was cool cos while he was in exile, President Juarez (best president ever. seriously, I'm not even trying to be funny), re-organized the Mexican troops and defeated the French in 1867.
So now you know.
If you knew all this, by all means, go ahead and celebrate. It is an important day, but it's just that Mexico doesn't make any kind of big deal about today.
And yeah, go drink if you feel like it, but because you feel like it. Don't use a random date in my country's history as an excuse to get wasted, and not even know why that day even matters.
And as always, if you have any problems with this entry of mine/my views on the subject, take your complaints to someone who gives a shit.
[/rant]
Cinco de Mayo:
1. Is NOT Mexican Independence day. I can't stress that enough. That's September 16. I saw a sign here announcing it was downstairs, near the other dorms. I wanted to stab things, mostly people.
2. You need a holiday as an excuse to drink? Really? Really?! Cos that's all it is to a majority of people who don't know wtf happened today.
3. No one in Mexico cares. Maybe just people in Puebla, but that's understandable since that's where the (soon to be explained) battle took place. Therefore, I've always been confused because this is just the most random day anyone could've picked to celebrate being Mexican, or drinking, or whathefuckever. Originally, the Chicano community wanted a day in which they could celebrate their heritage. So yeah, once upon a time it had some meaning, but now it's just an excuse to drink and no one knows anything.
History lesson:
In 1862, Napoleon III, taking advantage of the fact that the US was busy fighting a war with itself (and wouldn't try to intervene), and using the excuse that Mexico owed them monies (Mexico did, but they also owed Spain and Britain monies, but they came to agreements with the other two governments), decided it would be a good idea to expand his empire to Latin America and decided to invade Mexico. He eventually won and offered the Mexican Empire to Archduke Maximillian of Austria (a Habsburg), who accepted, but that was later.
Anyway, the French army was on its merry way to invade Mexico City, but they were defeated by General Igancio Zaragoza's very ragtag and very outnumbered troops (4500 vs. 8000), just outside of the city of Puebla. So it is an important day, history-wise. Mexico showed France they wouldn't just easily prance their way in, no matter what the cracked-out conservative royalists wanted, but then Zaragoza died of typhoid in September and the French set up their empire. But that was cool cos while he was in exile, President Juarez (best president ever. seriously, I'm not even trying to be funny), re-organized the Mexican troops and defeated the French in 1867.
So now you know.
If you knew all this, by all means, go ahead and celebrate. It is an important day, but it's just that Mexico doesn't make any kind of big deal about today.
And yeah, go drink if you feel like it, but because you feel like it. Don't use a random date in my country's history as an excuse to get wasted, and not even know why that day even matters.
And as always, if you have any problems with this entry of mine/my views on the subject, take your complaints to someone who gives a shit.
[/rant]