The spring semester is full of holidays: Valentine's day, where people show their love for their family, friends, and their partners; Easter, which marks the end of lent for Catholics, or a huge egg-hunt for kids; and Cinco de Mayo. How is the latter one celebrated? Well in a college setting in the U.S., it is common to hear about Mexican-themed parties, featuring Mexican food and drunk people. Even weeks before Cinco de Mayo actually happens, stores start marketing for it, and people start making plans on how to celebrate this important Mexican holiday.
However, how is this holiday actually celebrated in Mexico?
In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo usually goes somewhat unnoticed. It is a very low-key celebration which might include a parade, but this mostly depends on the city or town, and said parade might get a quick segment on the news. Also, schools get the day off, but that's pretty much it.
So what does Cinco de Mayo actually celebrate? It celebrates the victory of the Mexican army against a French invasion prompted by the Mexican foreign debt. However, this tidbit of information is not well known. So how did this victory turn into the biggest Mexican celebration in the U.S. while in Mexico it's just another day off of school? With the increasing Mexican population and the rise of the Chicano movement, Mexicans and Mexican-Americans tried to find a way to cling to their roots and celebrate every little thing from their culture. Eventually, companies caught on and started turning the holiday into what is known today.
This shows how a group of people celebrating their heritage can become a commercialized holiday.
Insightful points, Dulce. I agree that the holiday has expanded from a celebration of Mexican heritage to something of potential commercial benefit for businesses.
ReplyDeleteNot just Cinco de Mayo, but every holiday that is celebrated in the US is commercialized, making the economic portion of it part of our culture.
ReplyDeleteI think this is just another example of how we as Americans in general have begun to take any holiday or special occasion to party, regardless of what the occasion is. In my opinion, it can be highly disrespectful and possibly offensive to the heritage involved.
ReplyDeleteAnything that can people will buy will be sold by big businesses. This was an insightful article. I never knew the true origins of Cinco de Mayo.
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