
Read This Before You Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in New England
It's just about here, and May 5 brings all the fun and frivolity one can muster for an anniversary not even about America.
Cinco de Mayo (May 5, duh!) is celebrated annually in the U.S. with mucho gusto, but did you know the date actually celebrates Mexico's victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862? It has nothing to do with Mexico's Independence Day, as most Americans think. In fact, Independence Day is celebrated in Mexico on September 16.
While you're hoisting that margarita or having a round of Jose' Cuervo, know what you are celebrating before you make a toast, because Mexicans don't celebrate Cinco de Mayo like in the states.
May 5 is not a big holiday for our southern neighbors, and certainly not as big as their celebrations for Mexican Independence Day and Day of the Dead, which is kind of like our Halloween celebrations.
How did we come to create an annual celebration for a date that's not even American? Well, you can blame it on beer.
In the 1980s, Anheuser-Busch, Miller, and Coors made a push to spin Cinco de Mayo as a "Mexican St. Patrick's Day" in order to sell more beer, and it worked.
According to nationaltoday.com, nearly $600 million worth of beer can be sold on this day, and sometimes outsells the Super Bowl and St. Patrick’s Day.
Tequila, please. Americans consume about 127 million liters of tequila and mezcal on May 5, and over 87 million pounds of avocados.
So, celebrate the culture and history of Mexico on May 5 with a mighty good fiesta, and cheers to our good citizens south of the border.
These Are 19 of the Best Taco Places in New Hampshire
Yum: These Are 16 of the Best Mexican Restaurants in Maine
Gallery Credit: Megan
More From 97.5 WOKQ








