Cultural Events in May
Amina Haq
Cinco de Mayo
Many people have heard about Cinco de Mayo in school or other places, but often they get the history of the holiday wrong. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on May fifth, which is what the celebrating means in Spanish. A common misconception is that Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day because of the similarities to the Fourth of July, American Independence Day. However, Cinco de Mayo is actually in honor of a military victory over Napoleon’s French army in 1862. Mexico has been struggling in the war against France, and the win at the Battle of Puebla became a symbol of Mexican resistance. In Puebla, people celebrate Cinco de Mayo with parades and reenactments of the battle. For a long time, the holiday wasn’t well recognized outside of Puebla. In the mid twentieth century, however, Mexican immigrants began to use to celebration of Cinco de Mayo to encourage Mexican pride. Now, the holiday is popular in the United States for the street food, mariachi music, and block parties.
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a federal holiday dedicated to honoring the people who died while serving the United States military. The holiday, originally called Decoration Day, started after the Civil War when many people held ceremonies and gathering to honor the deceased. General Logan, the Commander in Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, chose May 30th as Memorial Day. However, in 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act which made Memorial Day a federal holiday and moved the date to the third Monday of May. The change in date was so a three day weekend could be enacted for federal employees. On Memorial Day, people honor fallen soldiers by visiting cemeteries and attending parades that incorporate military personnel and veterans.
