# Has your country adopted other countries' cultural events?



## don maico

and do you wellcome them?In fact would you like to see more being adopted?
In one word yes on both counts as far as I'm concerned.
Today is Halloween and the kids are trick or treating dressed in weird costumes , fireworks are going off everywhere and will do so for some days yet; probaly till the weekend when it'll be Guy Fawkes night which IS an English event.Halloween only has been celebrated here for about 10 - 15 years but now its everywhere. What next -Thanksgiving?Thats ok by me as i lke a bit of turkey
Anyway there is a negative because these fireworks are not pleasing everyone given as they terrorise cats and dogs and some kids get injured.Guy Fawkes night, which is the 5th of november,is strange one to me for its celebrates the burning at a stake of a catholic who tried to blow up the houses of Parliament and all the protestants within.Every major town ( other than Arundel which is catholic)and village burns a Guy effige and sets off fireworks . I have evehn seenan effigy of the Pope being burnt in Lewes - an ardently protestant town. Bit disrespectful I thought
Every septmber we now have a West Indian carnival in London- colourful noisy and very popular. It makes our own traditional processions  look very dull ,pedestrian and reserved . My wish is that evry town and village in England should have a West indian, or even, Brasilian type carnival.
Every febuary Chinatown in London explodes with colour and festivity as the Chinese celebrate their New Year. I wish my home town to do the same.
In Spain they have a tomato orgy in a place called Buñol which is called La Tomatina:
http://gospain.about.com/od/august/ig/Pictures-of-Tomatina-Fight/index.htm
Now I think we should have that here too. Be  great way of letting off steam In fact i would like to see many more cultural events of these kinds of events brought just to liven up what for me is sometimes a rather staid and dull country which needs a firewok labelled "fun and frolics" shoved up its collective rear passage. What say you?


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## maxiogee

Strangely enough, we Irish have somehow managed to avoid subsuming Guy Fawkes Night into our culture. I wonder why that might be?


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## Paulfromitaly

maxiogee said:


> Strangely enough, we Irish have somehow managed to avoid subsuming Guy Fawkes Night into our culture. I wonder why that might be?




Let me try to guess..for some inexplicable reasons you have sympathy for Guy Fawkes?


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## invictaspirit

The Indian/Hindu Divali/Diwali is becoming a more and more visible and colourful event across many areas of the UK.


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## serg79_

maxiogee said:


> Strangely enough, we Irish have somehow managed to avoid subsuming Guy Fawkes Night into our culture. I wonder why that might be?


Although I wouldn't expect Irish people in Ireland to celebrate that day, in England I can honestly say that I have never considered the modern celebration as having any kind of religious under- or overtones... at least not where I live.
A good example of this is that we used to have a Bonfire Night fireworks display/celebration in the grounds of the RC chuch where I used to be an altar boy, and it was organized by the priest.
I think it is probably the only truly English nationally celebrated day we have.
As for cultural events we have adopted from other countries, surely the biggest one has to be St.Patrick's Day.


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## lampiao

How appropriate for tonight!

Here many people are adopting halloween traditions.
Personally I'm not so keen on that tradition, so I guess I'll pass it


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## Hockey13

If you want to talk about the throwing of hundreds of cultures together, no better place to look than a holiday calendar in the United States. Most of our major holidays (except the December ones) are US-based holidays, but a lot of "less important" ones (i.e. we do not get a vacation day for them) are assimilated from the cultures that came here.

Halloween is one of the most fun holidays ever (and I believe the modern version of it is distinctly American) for people of many ages. I know college friends who have dressed up in 5 different costumes already and gotten quite drunk this past week. My university has little kids from around the community come around to our dorms to trick-or-treat and we give them lots of candy. I remember when I was little Halloween was one of the most fun days of the year BY FAR!


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## ElaineG

The great thing about New York City is that it is always _someone's_ holiday, and that probably means good things to eat and drink.

Chinese New Year, several dozen national flavors of Carnival, St. Patrick's Day, Diwali, Italian Christmas Eve feasts of seven fishes, Scandinavian St. Lucia day festivities, Cinco di Mayo, Burns' Night...  They're all good times in New York (especially for your tummy).

But no, I can't think of anywhere to go for Guy Fawkes Day .  Perhaps I'll have to start a tradition.


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## serg79_

ElaineG said:


> But no, I can't think of anywhere to go for Guy Fawkes Day . Perhaps I'll have to start a tradition.


I'm sure there must be some English ex-pats setting off fireworks somewhere in New York on November 5th . Although it's a shame there seem to be no native NYer's who are proud of their English heritage (I'm sure there must be quite a few).

Just to add that that day is more commonly known in England (at least where I live) as "Bonfire Night" and, as mentioned in the other post, it's much more to do with fireworks, etc, than some anti-Catholic thing from 400 years ago.

We also traditionally do apple dunking and eat roasted horse chestnuts on that day  (but this is probably for a different thread)...


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## Hockey13

serg79_ said:


> I'm sure there must be some English ex-pats setting off fireworks somewhere in New York on November 5th . Although it's a shame there seem to be no native NYer's who are proud of their English heritage (I'm sure there must be quite a few).
> 
> Just to add that that day is more commonly known in England (at least where I live) as "Bonfire Night" and, as mentioned in the other post, it's much more to do with fireworks, etc, than some anti-Catholic thing from 400 years ago.
> 
> We also traditionally do apple dunking and eat roasted horse chestnuts on that day  (but this is probably for a different thread)...


 
I think the primary concern is that setting off fireworks on your own is illegal in New York! At least it was where I grew up (in New Jersey, about 10 minutes from the city  ). You have to go to Pennsylvania for that.


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## moura

As Lampião said before, in Portugal the Halloween is already present. For me, in my age and a little skeptical with some importations raised mainly by commerce, I don't value this event. But if the children may profit and have some fun with it, it is all right, and in 50 years from now, perhaps the Halloween has already raised its roots in Portugal and may be considered also something of "our" folklore.
I have not a very complete idea of Halloween's celebrations, but I think that during these days, children go to the houses in the neighborhood and people offered them candies.
It is rather curious, because today, the 1st November, we have a holiday called "All Saints Day" and there was (I think perhaps still is in some villages) a tradition related with it called "Day of Little Cake" (_Dia do Bolinho)._ When I was 6,7,8 years old, I went with my sister and our friends, with a little cotton sack around the neighborhood and people offered us nuts, chestnuts, candies and small cakes. I can not help feel sorry for this tradition to disappear and be more or less replaced by some, in this aspect, similar tradition, but as Bob Dylan wisely said once: _the times they are a-changin. _


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## zebedee

don maico said:


> Halloween only has been celebrated here for about 10 - 15 years but now its everywhere.



I have to disagree with you there. Hallowe'en has existed and been celebrated for as long as I can remember and I'm certainly older than 15 years old! In fact, it wasn't until I was much older that I discovered that the way of celebrating Hallowe'en (pumpkins, trick or treat etc) had been imported from the States. However the origin of Hallowe'en is Hallow (Holy) Evening - the Evening preceding All Saints Day - which has traditionally been celebrated in Britain for centuries.



			
				don maico said:
			
		

> Guy Fawkes night, which is the 5th of november,is strange one to me for its celebrates the burning at a stake of a catholic who tried to blow up the houses of Parliament and all the protestants within.


As for Guy Fawkes Night - more commonly known as Bonfire Night - the origin of that celebration is purely anecdotal. Absolutely no-one who stands warming their hands in front of the bonfire, chewing on their toffee apple and gazing openmouthed at the fireworks is thinking anti-Catholic thoughts, I can assure you. 

Children are taught the rhyme:
_Remember remember the 5th of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.
_They know that Guy Fawkes was 'a baddie' who tried 400-odd years ago to blow up The Houses of Parliament and kill everyone inside. The political and religious whys and wherefores are lost on them.

As serg79_ has already said, St. Patrick's Day is just as celebrated as Bonfire Night in Britain.


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## don maico

ElaineG said:


> The great thing about New York City is that it is always _someone's_ holiday, and that probably means good things to eat and drink.
> 
> Chinese New Year, several dozen national flavors of Carnival, St. Patrick's Day, Diwali, Italian Christmas Eve feasts of seven fishes, Scandinavian St. Lucia day festivities, Cinco di Mayo, Burns' Night...  They're all good times in New York (especially for your tummy).
> 
> But no, I can't think of anywhere to go for Guy Fawkes Day .  Perhaps I'll have to start a tradition.


Nothing English then?


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## don maico

serg79_ said:


> I'm sure there must be some English ex-pats setting off fireworks somewhere in New York on November 5th . Although it's a shame there seem to be no native NYer's who are proud of their English heritage (I'm sure there must be quite a few).
> 
> Just to add that that day is more commonly known in England (at least where I live) as "Bonfire Night" and, as mentioned in the other post, it's much more to do with fireworks, etc, than some anti-Catholic thing from 400 years ago.
> 
> We also traditionally do apple dunking and eat roasted horse chestnuts on that day  (but this is probably for a different thread)...


I just find it odd that people should celebrate someone's public execution.    Would the Spanish, for eg, celebrate the garotting of some historical figure?
In Lewes Sussex, which boasts the largest bonfire night in the country, they burn effigies of the PM or Chancellor or Pope to show their disapproval :
http://www.totaltravel.co.uk/travel...tbourne/lewes-crowborough/guide/bonfire-night


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## don maico

zebedee said:


> I have to disagree with you there. Hallowe'en has existed and been celebrated for as long as I can remember and I'm certainly older than 15 years old! In fact, it wasn't until I was much older that I discovered that the way of celebrating Hallowe'en (pumpkins, trick or treat etc) had been imported from the States. However the origin of Hallowe'en is Hallow (Holy) Evening - the Evening preceding All Saints Day - which has traditionally been celebrated in Britain for centuries.
> 
> 
> As for Guy Fawkes Night - more commonly known as Bonfire Night - the origin of that celebration is purely anecdotal. Absolutely no-one who stands warming their hands in front of the bonfire, chewing on their toffee apple and gazing openmouthed at the fireworks is thinking anti-Catholic thoughts, I can assure you.
> 
> Children are taught the rhyme:
> _Remember remember the 5th of November
> Gunpowder, treason and plot.
> I see no reason why gunpowder treason
> Should ever be forgot.
> _They know that Guy Fawkes was 'a baddie' who tried 400-odd years ago to blow up The Houses of Parliament and kill everyone inside. The political and religious whys and wherefores are lost on them.
> 
> As serg79_ has already said, St. Patrick's Day is just as celebrated as Bonfire Night in Britain.



What I meant was that it has never been celebtated quite like it is now. I have lived here since 1969 and I certainly dont remember anyone celebrating it to any extent back in the seventies.

I realise no one has anti Catholic thoughts here - except maybe in Lewes. Why burn effigies of the Pope? 
Wouldnt surprise me if this year they burn effigies of Blair and Bush as well. I suppose its one way of venting ones spleen.


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## zaigucis

Yes some shops and Tv are trying to enforce Halloween in Latvia. But it has no big success. Only small part of people are celebrating it. More popular is St Valentine's Day, more celebrated by young people.


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## ireney

Well no Halloween here since we have our own which anyway lasts longer 

Don't ask me about wheteher our traditions are all Greek because one would have to do a lot of research to see what begun as whose in the times of the Ottoman Empire and we seem to share some with our neighbours 

In more recent years we've adopted the Christmas tree (traditionally it seems as mosts Greeks decorated a small boat and it's not as if you can find many fir trees in i.e. our islands ) to the point of replacing the local custom. While we're at Xmas, Greeks used to exchange gifts on New Year's Even and not Xmas. Now we are thoroughly confused about when to do it.

The only other I can think of is chocolate eggs on Easter but you wouldn't really call it adopting a tradition since all we do is buy some and eat them. (eggs in general play an important part on Easter celebrations but that's another issue).

The only event we've adopted as such (the above are modifications in already existing ones) is St Valentine's day.


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## don maico

We have st Valentines day too and i have no idea where that came from except I suspect America and just as the turkey has replced the traditional goose, so Santa Claus merged with Father Christmas. One very welcome difference with the US is that we have at least a week off at Christmas ( some have two weeks ) There is also a Mardi Gras in various citiesanad towms in the UK for those of a gay dispostion .


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## maxiogee

St. Valentine


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## Tsoman

Americans like to celebrate Cinco de Mayo because we love margaritas, tequila, nacos, and burritos


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## don maico

maxiogee said:


> St. Valentine



Thank you


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## djchak

don maico said:


> Nothing English then?



Sorry boss. It's the whole breakup 225 years ago...pretty much any English holiday got wiped from the map.


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## fenixpollo

don maico said:


> Nothing English then?


 What's an example of an "English" cultural holiday, other than Christmas or Easter?


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## djchak

Note: this includes May Day.

May Day for americans: May 4
May Day for the rest of the world: May 1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day#United_States


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## LV4-26

Yes, it has. All tuesday afternoon, all the children of the neighbourhood have come ringing at my door every five minutes asking for candies (and I'd forgotten to buy supplies) while I was trying to type posts on the WR forums.


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## Maja

No Halloween in Serbia.

We've adopted the Christmas tree (I saw it in a movie about British Queen Victoria and Albert, that in fact King Albert "imported" such a custom from Germany, as he was German. Don't know if it is true).
We also, like Greeks, exchange gifts on New Year's Eve and not Christmas. I think that this is connected to Communism after WWII as the Christmas (as well as other religious holidays) were "forbidden".

We also have St Valentine's day, but it is usually marked just between couples with a small present, dinner and a movie. Nothing too fancy or spread out as it is in say US.

And, of course, celebration of birthday!


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## don maico

fenixpollo said:


> What's an example of an "English" cultural holiday, other than Christmas or Easter?


Whitsun in june which is equivalent to Pentecost. All our public holidyas are now called bank holidays- monday after easter, may or labour day, whitsun and then august bank holiday which is the carnival


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## don maico

djchak said:


> Sorry boss. It's the whole breakup 225 years ago...pretty much any English holiday got wiped from the map.


not just holidays but everything else as well it would seem. Was George the III such a bad fellow?Rest of the world Limeys then?


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## fenixpollo

don maico said:


> Was George the III such a bad fellow?Rest of the world Limeys then?
> 
> Whitsun in june which is equivalent to Pentecost. All our public holidyas are now called bank holidays- monday after easter, may or labour day, whitsun and then august bank holiday which is the carnival


 Apparently, there were no English holidays for Americans to adopt, apart from the Christian ones.  I couldn't even tell you what Pentecost is, and it's definitely not celebrated widely.

It's appropriate that what were once "holy days" are now "bank holidays" -- since capitalism is the new religion.


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## moura

Hi Fenixpollo

I too din't know exactly what Pentecostes was, but I found this definition in a Portuguese religious order site: 
The word «Pentecostes» has greek origin and means fifty. On the jewish calendar it indicated the feast celebrated fifty days after Eastern. In the origin it was just an agricultural feast celebrating the raising of crops. But since Babilon exodus, it become the celebration of the Alliance between God and His People, when Moisés (_in Portuglinsh_) received the law at Sinai Mountain. The importance of this feast made Jerusalem the center of many pilgrinations. (sorry about possible English mistakes).

I am not aware if it is yet celebrated in my country, but most probably it is among Catholics.


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## serg79_

fenixpollo said:


> What's an example of an "English" cultural holiday, other than Christmas or Easter?


I guess we English are pretty strange (or unique) in that we don't really have any cultural/national holidays as such... that's why I like Guy Fawkes/Bonfire Night because it's probably the only nationally celebrated "English" cultural thing we have.



Hockey13 said:


> I think the primary concern is that setting off fireworks on your own is illegal in New York! At least it was where I grew up (in New Jersey, about 10 minutes from the city ). You have to go to Pennsylvania for that.


Oops, I didn't know it was illegal in New York . Maybe they do it in Pennsylvania or other places, then...



don maico said:


> I just find it odd that people should celebrate someone's public execution. Would the Spanish, for eg, celebrate the garotting of some historical figure?


I know what you mean, but I guess that the original meaning of the celebration has just been lost (thankfully) in the mists of time....at least in most places; interesting page about the celebration in Lewes!


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## don maico

serg79_ said:


> I guess we English are pretty strange (or unique) in that we don't really have any cultural/national holidays as such... that's why I like Guy Fawkes/Bonfire Night because it's probably the only nationally celebrated "English" cultural thing we have.
> 
> 
> Oops, I didn't know it was illegal in New York . Maybe they do it in Pennsylvania or other places, then...
> 
> 
> I know what you mean, but I guess that the original meaning of the celebration has just been lost (thankfully) in the mists of time....at least in most places; interesting page about the celebration in Lewes!


TBH I was quite shocked to see the effigy of the Pope put to flames. Whats he done to offend the good people of Lewes?


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## djchak

don maico said:


> not just holidays but everything else as well it would seem. Was George the III such a bad fellow?Rest of the world Limeys then?



What can I say. Breaking up is hard to do.

Actually, the English did have an influence..but it's somewhat subtle, even in places like new england.


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## asm

I guess you meant NACHOS, correct?

Regarding the original question, what I see in the US is that they celebrate 5 the mayo more than Mexicans do. An Halloween is popular in Mexico like never before. However, the new context don't  match the original focus of the celebration.
In the US, 10 out of 9 (sic) people think 5 the mayo is the Mexican independence day (and therefore celebrated in all countries south from the Rio Grande )
The Halloween I have seen the past 5 years in Kentucky is different from the one I saw in Mexico.




Tsoman said:


> Americans like to celebrate Cinco de Mayo because we love margaritas, tequila, nacos, and burritos


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## don maico

djchak said:


> What can I say. Breaking up is hard to do.
> 
> Actually, the English did have an influence..but it's somewhat subtle, even in places like new england.


well I guess New England yes as thats where part of the colonies were.Many of the place names mirror ours .For eg Hampshire- New Hampshire.even Pennsylvania  has  Reading( not pronounced as in reading a book but as in Redding) in county Berkshire - same in England.no its just that I see bagpipe bands dressed in kilts marching in NY and I am thinking ok Irish or maybe Scots descent but no Morris dancers ????

http://www.philpreen.co.uk/folk/morris/leicsmorris.htm
http://www.themorrisring.org/

Actually we dont really have anyhting to export. I mean who wants to watch some medieval bloke being burnt at a stake???Maybe we should celebrate the gruesome execution of William Wallace- hang draw and quarter an effigy .Naaah we are more of an importing nation. Now what about La Tomatina  from Bunyol?


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## mjscott

I thought Halloween _was_ an attempt (quite successfully, obviously) to change _Samhain_--a Celtic holiday, into a Christian holiday--in about 800 a.d. (I'm doing this off the top of my head, so I could be off a couple--no, a lot of centuries).

We celebrate Cinco de Mayo big-time where I live because about 90% of the people are Hispanic.

Where I was brought up, Pentecost was celebrated big-time, because it was a predominantly Portuguese community. (Although Pentecost is really a Christian holiday--I think the political correctness of believing in a Pentecostal, vs non-Pentecostal Christian existence has hush-hushed the holiday under the rug.

St. Patrick's Day is largely celebrated, because it's another good time to raise a mug between Valentine's Day and Cinco de Mayo.


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## DCPaco

Tsoman said:


> Americans like to celebrate Cinco de Mayo because we love margaritas, *tequila (great product of my people)*, nachos, and burritos


 
Actually, Americans celebrate it because the United States feared having an empire next to it; so, it did what it could to help defeat Maximillian. In the USA, this holiday is more important than in Mexico; however, I will grant that Mexicans love parties! (And Nachos aren't Mexican food...they are named after a Mexican-American named: Ignacio Anaya...and like you guys call the Richards Dick, Ignacios are called Nacho.)

But addressing the question of the forum:

Yes, Mexico city is filled with traditions from all around the world--it is the largest city in the world so it is not a huge surprise that cultures mix. There are even periods that altered its gastronomy. For example: During a certain period there was a significant migration of Lebanese people and from them came the "Tacos árabes," which are also called "Tacos al pastor."

All major cities in the world are magnets for this type of cultural adoption and reappropriation.

Greetings to all!


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## fenixpollo

DCPaco said:


> Actually, Americans celebrate it because the United States feared having an empire next to it; so, it did what it could to help defeat Maximillian.


 I totally disagree with you on this one, Paco. Cinco de Mayo was brought here by Mexican immigrants who observe it as a date of national pride; then it was made more popular by second, third and fourth-generation Mexican immigrants looking to re-encounter their roots; and finally it became even more popular when people not of Mexican descent found it as an excuse to eat imitation tacos and drink a lot of tequila.

Check out a previous thread about la Batalla de Puebla, and also a link to a government article on the topic.


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## twix

I have to agree with fenixpollo. In texas we celebrate cinco de mayo as a day of national pride (I'm not hispanic, but half my family is from mexico). we also have food days at school (who doesn't like food?) but no tequila or margaritas.  

and in response to an earlier post, we _discuss_ pentecost and we might have a nice dinner, but I wouldn't say it's celebrated.


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## DCPaco

fenixpollo said:


> I totally disagree with you on this one, Paco. Cinco de Mayo was brought here by Mexican immigrants who observe it as a date of national pride; then it was made more popular by second, third and fourth-generation Mexican immigrants looking to re-encounter their roots; and finally it became even more popular when people not of Mexican descent found it as an excuse to eat imitation tacos and drink a lot of tequila.
> 
> Check out a previous thread about la Batalla de Puebla, and also a link to a government article on the topic.


 
Disagreement is perfectly welcome since it is through opposition that we progress and it is peer revision that foments our learning. Do ask yourself, however, why the date is so important. The battle and those involved predate the immigrant issues. Cinco de Mayo marks the end of an empire--Maximilian's fall meant that Prince Agustín de Iturbide y Green would not be successor. The U.S. government didn't recognize Maximilian as emperor; it favored Benito Juárez. I recommend reading the articles of this site for a different perspective: http://www.casaimperial.org/.

Where we do concur is that it is another excuse for a party in the USA.


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## fenixpollo

I don't see what a Mexican site about the royal house of Maximilian has to do with 5 de Mayo in the U.S. -- unless you can direct my attention to a specific spot on the site. I agree with you that the event has political and historical significance for the US and the region, as well as for Mexico, but that does not mean that it has a cultural significance.

Cinco de Mayo has never been observed by the US government, and there is no indication that "those involved" with the Battle of Puebla were responsible for "bringing" the holiday to the US. It's a cultural celebration, in the same vein as St. Patrick's, Columbus Day and Oktoberfest -- immigrants to the US trying to hold on to their roots.

I also never mentioned "the immigration issue".


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