'Cinco de Mayo' translates to 'fifth of May', and the day is greeted with fireworks and a day off from work and school to reflect on its meaning.It marks the day of the 'Battle of Puebla in 1862'.The reason the celebration is so memorable for the Mexicans is it represents their victory in a David and Goliath-style battle against the highly-armed French fleet in 1862.When the ill-prepared Mexican band of 4,500 inexperienced soldiers fought off the brutal attack from 6,500 highly trained french soldiers from sunup to sunset on May 5th, 1862, the sheer bravery, faith and ferocity of the patriotic Mexicans forced the French to return to Europe to reorganize and increase their army to 30,000 for their renewed attack on Mexico the following year.Even though the French eventually won against the Mexicans and governed the country for 6 years under the rule of Archduke Maximilian of Austria, Napolean's nephew, the Mexicans celebrate their victory at 'Battle of Puebla in 1862' as a symbol of the country's ability to defend its independence with faith and bravery.Close your eyes and imagine what it might have been like to be a young teenager back in 1862, enjoying your adolescence in the idyllic and beautiful peninsula called the Yucatan then being called into joining an army for a seemingly losing battle to defend it the next.Imagine that most of your life was spent with your family and friends; fishing, swimming in cenotes, hunting iguanas and chasing monkeys, when suddenly you are told that your lifestyle as you know it is threatened and that you must take your machete and fight alongside your friends against a huge army of fighting machines, trained and armed against you.The bravery and patriotism of these young men protecting their right to govern their own land against a marauding foreign land set to exploit them is a fine example of what makes a country a home, and the kind of patriotism that the Mexican people stand for.We are so fortunate to come and visit this beautiful land, to appreciate it and love it, as those brave souls did so many years ago with a love and faith so much stronger than the reality that they could not win against the Goliath that came to take it from them.We love visiting the Yucatan, and we love this land that welcomes us with the smiling families and dignified souls that have grown from a love of a land and of itself; in the tradition that a proud and dignified nation comes from.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Cinco De Mayo - Imagine a Fearless Act of Faith and Bravery
'Cinco de Mayo' translates to 'fifth of May', and the day is greeted with fireworks and a day off from work and school to reflect on its meaning.It marks the day of the 'Battle of Puebla in 1862'.The reason the celebration is so memorable for the Mexicans is it represents their victory in a David and Goliath-style battle against the highly-armed French fleet in 1862.When the ill-prepared Mexican band of 4,500 inexperienced soldiers fought off the brutal attack from 6,500 highly trained french soldiers from sunup to sunset on May 5th, 1862, the sheer bravery, faith and ferocity of the patriotic Mexicans forced the French to return to Europe to reorganize and increase their army to 30,000 for their renewed attack on Mexico the following year.Even though the French eventually won against the Mexicans and governed the country for 6 years under the rule of Archduke Maximilian of Austria, Napolean's nephew, the Mexicans celebrate their victory at 'Battle of Puebla in 1862' as a symbol of the country's ability to defend its independence with faith and bravery.Close your eyes and imagine what it might have been like to be a young teenager back in 1862, enjoying your adolescence in the idyllic and beautiful peninsula called the Yucatan then being called into joining an army for a seemingly losing battle to defend it the next.Imagine that most of your life was spent with your family and friends; fishing, swimming in cenotes, hunting iguanas and chasing monkeys, when suddenly you are told that your lifestyle as you know it is threatened and that you must take your machete and fight alongside your friends against a huge army of fighting machines, trained and armed against you.The bravery and patriotism of these young men protecting their right to govern their own land against a marauding foreign land set to exploit them is a fine example of what makes a country a home, and the kind of patriotism that the Mexican people stand for.We are so fortunate to come and visit this beautiful land, to appreciate it and love it, as those brave souls did so many years ago with a love and faith so much stronger than the reality that they could not win against the Goliath that came to take it from them.We love visiting the Yucatan, and we love this land that welcomes us with the smiling families and dignified souls that have grown from a love of a land and of itself; in the tradition that a proud and dignified nation comes from.
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