Forums > General > General Forum

belgique

Apr 27, 2009, 2:41 PM

Post #1 of 16 (1923 views)

Shortcut

Cinco de Mayo

Can't Post | Private Reply

Is Cinco de Mayo a big deal SOB? I guess I should stipulate: in a non-flu panic year. More specifically, we are RV'ing on the Gulf Coast between Catemaco and Emerald Coast and wondering if there would normally be a rush to the sea on the weekend near the 5th?

I seem to recall that it is a contrived NOB holiday, something like St Patricks Day and, thus not a big deal here.

I'm sure that Mr. H. Dog would agree with me that all this talk of swine makes be long for some good BBQ.

Rolly

Apr 27, 2009, 2:44 PM

Post #2 of 16 (1920 views)

Shortcut

Re: [belgique] Cinco de Mayo

Can't Post | Private Reply

Cinco de Mayo is a non-event in most of México.

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

gpkgto

Apr 27, 2009, 3:56 PM

Post #3 of 16 (1904 views)

Shortcut

Re: [belgique] Cinco de Mayo

Can't Post | Private Reply

The holiday around cinco de mayo is labor day/workers day--May 1. May 5 is nothing except in a few places where battles against the French occured, mainly in Puebla--and I once saw a big battle reenactment in Zacatecas.

mevale

Apr 27, 2009, 4:25 PM

Post #4 of 16 (1899 views)

Shortcut

Re: [gpkisner] Cinco de Mayo

Can't Post | Private Reply

In Reply To

Hound Dog

Apr 27, 2009, 4:40 PM

Post #5 of 16 (1894 views)

Shortcut

Re: [belgique] Cinco de Mayo

Can't Post | Private Reply

I'm sure that Mr. H. Dog would agree with me that all this talk of swine makes be long for some good BBQ.

Funny you should say that belgique. Today I was in Puritan Poultry in Riberas on Lake Chapala when this guy walks in and asks the owner Chicken Joe for some lamb. Well, Puritan Poultry does not and never has sold lamb and I proceeded to tell this newcomer to Lakeside that lamb is difficult to find at Lakeside except seasonally as in Easter season as an example and I further told him I found that puzzling as lamb is grown extensively in this part of Jalisco but apparently is only popular during certain festive seasons at the lake. I asked him why he was seeking lamb and he told me with great sincerety that he and his wife were seeking lamb because they were afraid to eat pork what with the swine flu epidemic proposed to be rampant hereabouts. Well, of course, that´s pretty funny since one does not contract swine flu from consuming a dead pig although, presumably, one could die from other causes from consuming dead pigs so I told him I had just returned from the high sierra in Oaxaca State and had visited a town in the outback there where they never consume pork as they suspect that it will kill them so they make (really bad) ham with beef and if you travel the back roads just about anywhere you will find these fanciful local nonsensical traditions but here is my favorite part of this story which I have related before:

Someone suggested that our naive friend head down the road to Tony´s meats in San Antonio Tlayacapan for lamb but I told this fellow that (1) he should go ahead and eat the damn pork and further that he should try the pork at that new Cuban place on the Ajijic-Chapala libramiento and (2) that whether or not Tony´s would have lamb was a hit-and-miss proposition as Tony only carried lamb occasionally and without rational planning.

Then I remembered a conversation I had with Tony about five years ago when I asked him why he did not consistently carry leg of lamb what with his large foreign client base from NOB who cherished good lamb which is readily available from wholesale butchers around here and his answer I never forgot:

"Well", Tony responded, "I don´t carry leg of lamb as a rule because there is no demand for it around here and as soon as I get some in it sells out immediately."

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on Apr 27, 2009, 5:37 PM)

Hound Dog

Apr 27, 2009, 4:50 PM

Post #6 of 16 (1885 views)

Shortcut

Re: [willieboy] Cinco de Mayo

Can't Post | Private Reply

The battle re-enactment in Zacatecas is of the Battle of Zacatecas, which took place in June of 1914 during the Mexican Revolution. The principal players were Victoriano Huerta and Pancho Villa. The loss by the federalist forces was a major factor in the ousting of Huerta as president.

Well, Willie, you might consider not telling that tale around Puebla where the locals consider Cinco de Mayo to be the commemoration of the Battle of Puebla but then the folks in Puebla do sort of live in a bubble and live under the misconception that they have the single ugliest sculpture in all of Mexico near the site of that famous battle but that is just because they have never been to Guadalajara and driven into town on Lazaro Cárdenas and seen the mother of all McDonalds arches gracing that thoroughfare which Tapatios contend is the single ugliest sculpture not simply in Mexico but in the entire universe.

tonyburton

Apr 27, 2009, 4:51 PM

Post #7 of 16 (1882 views)

Shortcut

Re: [belgique] Cinco de Mayo

Can't Post | Private Reply

The short answer is no; see http://www.mexconnect.com/...d-in-usa-than-mexico

mevale

Apr 27, 2009, 6:31 PM

Post #8 of 16 (1863 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Hound Dog] Cinco de Mayo

Can't Post | Private Reply

In Reply To

Well, Willie, you might consider not telling that tale around Puebla where the locals consider Cinco de Mayo to be the commemoration of the Battle of Puebla but then the folks in Puebla do sort of live in a bubble and live under the misconception that they have the single ugliest sculpture in all of Mexico near the site of that famous battle but that is just because they have never been to Guadalajara and driven into town on Lazaro Cárdenas and seen the mother of all McDonalds arches gracing that thoroughfare which Tapatios contend is the single ugliest sculpture not simply in Mexico but in the entire universe.

I would never presume to tell the people of Puebla anything, but I was responding to "gpkisner" in the post above me who wrote:

"The holiday around cinco de mayo is labor day/workers day--May 1. May 5 is nothing except in a few places where battles against the French occured, mainly in Puebla--and I once saw a big battle reenactment in Zacatecas."

I thought he was implying that the re-enactment in Zacatecas had something to do with the French Intervention.

Hound Dog

Apr 27, 2009, 6:52 PM

Post #9 of 16 (1854 views)

Shortcut

Re: [willieboy] Cinco de Mayo

Can't Post | Private Reply

Good point,Willie.

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on Apr 27, 2009, 6:56 PM)

belgique

Apr 27, 2009, 7:01 PM

Post #10 of 16 (1847 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Hound Dog] Cinco de Mayo

Can't Post | Private Reply

Re: "Well", Tony responded, "I don´t carry leg of lamb as a rule because there is no demand for it around here and as soon as I get some in it sells out immediately."

Kinda like Yogi Berra: "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."

esperanza

Apr 27, 2009, 7:23 PM

Post #11 of 16 (1837 views)

Shortcut

Re: [belgique] Cinco de Mayo

Can't Post | Private Reply

It's celebrated primarily in the USA, as you said, belgique. I think it was contrived by the beer companies to fill the slot between St. Patrick's Day and Memorial Day. You know there are two kinds of holidays in the USA, Hallmark holidays and beer holidays. Cinco de Mayo is one of the latter.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

ken_in_dfw

Apr 27, 2009, 8:58 PM

Post #12 of 16 (1818 views)

Shortcut

Re: [esperanza] Cinco de Mayo

Can't Post |

Quote

Hmmm, that sounds like a rather flippant remark for a fine upstanding Mexicana like yourself to make, Esperanza. What would you call Easter, or Memorial Day, or Veteran's Day?

And for the record, this USA citizen would never denigrate El Aniversario de la ConstituciÓn or El Natalicio de Benito Juárez. I respect my neighbor more than that.

Rolly

Apr 27, 2009, 9:07 PM

Post #13 of 16 (1811 views)

Shortcut

Re: [kenhjr] Cinco de Mayo

Can't Post | Private Reply

Ken, she didn't put down any of those holidays. She was remarking the in the USA Cinco de Mayo is a beer holiday. And that is exactly what it is in the USA.

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

esperanza

Apr 27, 2009, 9:20 PM

Post #14 of 16 (1805 views)

Shortcut

Re: [kenhjr] Cinco de Mayo

Can't Post | Private Reply

Ken, I don't really know what you mean about being either flippant or denigrating. I was simply stating my personal belief about the recent upsurge in popularity of Cinco de Mayo in the USA, as Rolly said. Perhaps I should have been more pointed about the marketing tactics of US businesses.

In fact, Cinco de Mayo is so popular in the USA that the majority of US natives who don't know Mexican history believe that Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day. September 16 draws a blank with them, and the importance of September 15 draws even more bemused looks.

Help me understand why you mentioned the other two Mexican holidays--I'm at a loss.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

Brigitte Ordoquy

Apr 28, 2009, 5:44 AM

Post #15 of 16 (1785 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Rolly] Cinco de Mayo

Can't Post | Private Reply

You are absolutely right Rolly. The 5 th of May was picked by the liquor industry as an excuse for promotions during the month of May as there was no serious drinking holiday that month. I worked for the industry for 30 years and I always heard that story.

ken_in_dfw

Apr 28, 2009, 10:02 AM

Post #16 of 16 (1741 views)

Shortcut

Re: [esperanza] Cinco de Mayo

Can't Post |

My point was not to argue about the evolution of Cinco de Mayo as a USA "holiday." I completely agree with you and Rolly and the rest of the posters that it's just an event to market beer - no different than St. Patrick's Day. Or how Valentine's Day is used by the chocolate and floral industries.

I was reacting to this comment:

Quote

You know there are two kinds of holidays in the USA, Hallmark holidays and beer holidays.

The way that is stated, it infers that there are only two reasons citizens of the USA ever have for holidays: crass commercialism and drunkenness. I gave you three examples of USA holidays that, in my opinion, are not overly commercialized or exclusively promoted for drunkenness.

I think that it is important for good neighbors to try to understand one another. I agree that there is a wealth of opportunity for educating USA citizens about Mexican history, culture, customs and observances. I encourage my fellow countrymen to shed their ignorance and learn more about our neighbors. That's why many of us are on MexConnect.

But I also think that there are opportunities to educate Mexican citizens about the history, culture, customs and observances of the USA. It's too easy to assume that Mexicans already know everything they need to know about my country. The reality is that many of you have an overly simplified view of us.

There is more to estadounidense culture and customs than can be viewed in the latest Hollywood production, or on the nightly news. This leads to a disconnect between what you all think you know of us and what is reality. That's why so many people outside of the USA were so surprised and struggled to understand the Obama phenomenon during the USA 2008 national elections. It didn't jibe with the jingoistic image that had been promoted abroad.

So off-hand remarks about beer marketing only add to the pile of Chuck Norris flicks, Donald Trump exploits, and Paris Hilton hijinks that surround the USA mythic persona. Meanwhile, there are millions of my fellow countrymen and I who are quietly volunteering to rebuild the US Gulf Coast, testing solutions for how we can reverse global warming, trying to prop up a neglected manufacturing base, and generally trying to clean up the mess up here.