I have it on good authority (i.e., some Mexicans of my acquaintance) that one sure-fire way to give yourself away as a gringo is to eat Tex-Mex or Cal-Mex or Nuyo-Mex food and drink Corona beer on this day, Cinco de Mayo.
From what they tell me, outside of Puebla, the holiday is not widely celebrated in Mexico. It's not seen as "Mexican Independence Day" any more than 24 December, the day the War of 1812 ended, is seen as American Independence Day.
In fact, according to my authorities/acquaintances, Mexicans have actually taken to calling this day "Drinko de Mayo" and "Gringo de Mayo". Somehow I'm not surprised: The vast majority of folks who get drunk on St. Patrick's Day aren't Irish, or even partly of Celtic heritage of any sort.
And, in another parallel to Cinco de Mayo, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated more robustly in the US, Canada and Australia than it is in Ireland itself. The day celebrating an Anglo-Roman who converted Ireland to Christianity has become, more than anything, an ostensible celebration of Irish heritage, just as Cinco has become a celebration of Mexican pride.
(Likewise, Italian-Americans see Columbus Day as an occasion to celebrate their roots and culture. But why, of all people, do we choose someone who got lost?)
Anyway...I promise I won't wear a sombrero or fake moustache. (Having had a real moustache--and beard--for long periods of my previous life, I get no thrill out of sporting facsimiles.) I won't even wear a sarape or any of those brightly-colored dresses or shoes. I might eat something Mexican because, well, I like Mexican food, even in all of its bastardizations.
But I'll probably go for a ride after work. That's one thing that translates into almost any culture, and therefore isn't culturally insensitive!
(That bike shop certainly looks OK to me!)
From what they tell me, outside of Puebla, the holiday is not widely celebrated in Mexico. It's not seen as "Mexican Independence Day" any more than 24 December, the day the War of 1812 ended, is seen as American Independence Day.
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| From Pinterest |
In fact, according to my authorities/acquaintances, Mexicans have actually taken to calling this day "Drinko de Mayo" and "Gringo de Mayo". Somehow I'm not surprised: The vast majority of folks who get drunk on St. Patrick's Day aren't Irish, or even partly of Celtic heritage of any sort.
And, in another parallel to Cinco de Mayo, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated more robustly in the US, Canada and Australia than it is in Ireland itself. The day celebrating an Anglo-Roman who converted Ireland to Christianity has become, more than anything, an ostensible celebration of Irish heritage, just as Cinco has become a celebration of Mexican pride.
(Likewise, Italian-Americans see Columbus Day as an occasion to celebrate their roots and culture. But why, of all people, do we choose someone who got lost?)
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| Photo by Can Turkyilmaz, from Oak Cliff Advocate |
Anyway...I promise I won't wear a sombrero or fake moustache. (Having had a real moustache--and beard--for long periods of my previous life, I get no thrill out of sporting facsimiles.) I won't even wear a sarape or any of those brightly-colored dresses or shoes. I might eat something Mexican because, well, I like Mexican food, even in all of its bastardizations.
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| "Working Relationship" by Nick Mc Coy, from the Oak Cliff Advocate |
But I'll probably go for a ride after work. That's one thing that translates into almost any culture, and therefore isn't culturally insensitive!
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| From the Downtown Mobile Alliance |
(That bike shop certainly looks OK to me!)
In New Orleans we celebrated Sinkhole de Mayo. http://time.com/4319528/cinco-de-mayo-sinkhole-new-orleans/
ReplyDeleteIn New Orleans we celebrated Sinkhole de Mayo. http://time.com/4319528/cinco-de-mayo-sinkhole-new-orleans/
ReplyDeleteRoger: I love it! What'll you do, though, if the sinkhole is ever filled?
ReplyDelete