It might seem odd that an American in Germany would be talking about a Mexican holiday…but we love Mexican food around here and I’m a Texas girl, so Tex-Mex will always be near and dear to my heart. But did you know that Cinco de Mayo is probably celebrated by more Americans than Mexicans? It’s actually only an optional holiday in Mexico and is primarily celebrated by the state of Puebla, where a battle took place on May 5, 1862.
During that battle, 4,000 Mexican soldiers managed to overthrow 8,000 well-equipped French troops. It was also the last time that a country in the Americas was invaded by an army from another continent. So a few people in California decided to get together in 1863 to celebrate the fall of the French, and apparently, we’ve been partying down every year since then. Viva la Mexico!
Every year, we use Cinco de Mayo as an excuse to indulge in some sort of Mexican food and perhaps even a few cervezas. Not that we really need an excuse to have Mexican food, but let’s just call it a freebie spot on the meal calendar.
Here are a few of our favorite Mexican recipes to make your Cinco de Mayo sizzle!
- Bad Boy Beef Tacos
- Chimichangas
- Arroz con Pollo
- Jalapeno Hot Sauce (just in case you run into a sale on jalapeños!)
Do you usually do anything special for Cinco de Mayo? What about in your city– are there celebrations?
Hey Tiffany!
Happy Cinco de Mayo! As a Californian (where this whole party started), we always take the time for a couple of cervezas, and maybe even a margharita or two. 😉
Introduce those Germans to some Dos Equis and a real margharita….
I celebrated by making green chili enchiladas. YUM! No cervezas for me, but the hubby and a couple of my friends had one… 🙂
.-= Jentry´s last blog ..Haircut =-.
@Jeremy — had some of the best margaritas EVER here in Germany. Served up by a TexMex girl married to a German. Go figure 🙂
@Jentry — YUM! Next time we’re doing Cinco de Mayo at your place 😉
@SteveR — In light of the fact that it’s a battle being celebrated, I’d say first aid training definitely counts. But only if you had fun while learning. Maybe throw in a taco for dinner and you’re golden. lol
“It was also the last time that a country in the Americas was invaded by an army from another continent.” That’s because Spain, Britain, France, Netherlands, Portugal had pretty much completed their sweep of the entire western hemisphere over the last 400 years by then.
The battle at Pueblo which the French lost was only one battle of many and they continued their attempt to conquer Mexico only finally withdrawing 5 years later. That’s the short version:)
We did some first aid training last night, if that counts for a Cinco de Mayo celebration!