Cinco De Mayo: A Brief History of a Mexican War Smash-Hit.

Cinco de Mayo: Not Just an Excuse to Drink Corona and Party

So, it turns out Cinco de Mayo isn't just about drinking Corona and tequila sunrises, wearing sombreros, and pretending to be Mexican for a day. Who knew?

Celebrated annually on May 5, Cinco de Mayo marks the day Mexico sent France and that midget Napoleon III packing back to Europe in 1862. It's like their version of the Battle of Yorktown, except they were fighting the French instead of the Brits.

Here's the deal: In 1862, Mexico was like, "enough's enough" and kicked French Emperor Napoleon III and his troops out of Veracruz. On May 5, 2,000 Mexican soldiers whooped 6,000 French troops in Puebla. Talk about a beating! Mexico's President Benito Juárez even declared it a national holiday.

But why do Americans care so much about this holiday? Well, it turns out that the French losing at Puebla stopped them from helping the Confederacy in the American Civil War. So, America has Cinco de Mayo to thank for not becoming the Divided States of America.

Chicanx historian Mario García from UC Santa Barbara thinks we should remember the history of the day, not just use it as an excuse to get wasted:

"It's OK to party, but let's also remember the history... We should have Cinco de Mayo events that go beyond partying and drinking, where we call attention to what the history is."

So, this Sunday, May 5, when you're downing margaritas and tacos, remember to raise a glass to Mexico's badass soldiers of 1862.

Here's Some Other Stuff Going Down for Cinco de Mayo:

• San Diego: Live music, folklore, and food/drink specials on May 4-5 in Old Town.
• Denver: Parade, taco-eating contest, and other activities on May 4-5 in Civic Center Park.
• St. Paul: Parade, car/bike show, and dog show on May 4 in the West Side neighborhood.
• San Antonio: Live music, dance, food, and more on May 4-5 in Historic Market Square.
• Chicago: Parade and festival on May 5, starting at Cermak Road and Wood Street and ending at Douglas Park.
• Los Angeles: Fiesta Broadway, one of the world's largest Cinco de Mayo fests, already happened on April 28.

Deals to Help You Get Your Drink and Taco on:

• Abuelo's: $5 specials on beer, margaritas, and queso on May 5 in-store.
• Chevy's Fresh Mex: All-day happy hour on May 3-4, boozy brunch on May 5.
• Chipotle: Use code "CINCO24" for $0 delivery fee from May 1-5.
• Chuy's: $6 House 'Ritas, $1 tequila floaters, and $5 Chips 'N' Dips on May 5.
• El Torito: All-day happy hour on May 3-4, all-you-can-eat brunch, and drink specials on May 5.

URLs:

• Chicano Movement: https://www.history.com/news/chicano-movement
• Old Town San Diego: https://www.oldtownsandiego.org/cincodemayo/
• Denver Cinco de Mayo: https://cincodemayodenver.com/home/
• St. Paul's West Side: https://www.westsideboosters.com/cincodemayo
• San Antonio Cinco de Mayo: https://www.marketsquaresa.com/Whats-Happening/Event-Details/ArtMID/27526/ArticleID/26975/evr/1/Cinco-de-Mayo-Weekend
• Chicago Parade Info: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/parades.html
• Fiesta Broadway: https://fiesta-broadway.com/
• Abuelo's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatabuelos/p/C6Y9J6lxZ_R/
• Chevy's Fresh Mex: https://www.chevys.com/cincodemayo/
• Chipotle: https://www.chipotle.com/?utm_confid=uwk8j8a7m&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=tractor&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&$3p=a_google_adwords&$always_deeplink=false&~ad_set_id=162401396380&~campaign_id=19968956821&~channel=g&~keyword=chipotle%20cinco%20de%20mayo%20specials&~placement&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0MexBhD3ARIsAEI3WHIZrxSkX5cuZxy0zsSfa5MeEe-k1affnxWsqA7j_QRMJwbLF_ZVx6caAtczEALw_wcB&_branch_match_id=1200052791291482698
• Chuy's: https://www.chuys.com/the-latest/make-cinco-a-grande-day
• El Torito: https://www.eltorito.com/cincodemayo/