When discussing and celebrating Cinco de Mayo with our kids, there’s a unique opportunity to teach them about the history, significance, and respect attached to cross-cultural holidays. Explore some of the key takeaways for you and your family.
You’ve probably have heard of Cinco de Mayo. A holiday infused with cross-cultural themes, lavish meals, and countless masterclass experiences in throwing a party, Cinco de Mayo can be a lot of fun for our kids.
However, there’s a good chance your family has never heard of Ignacio Zaragoza. A Mexican general renowned for his military and political career, Zaragoza engineered one of the greatest underdog military efforts in history.
Quite simply, there wouldn’t be a Cinco de Mayo without Ignacio Zaragoza. Yet, without Zaragoza’s military brilliance and bravery, Mexico also would be without one of its greatest national heroes.
But what does this have to do with Cinco de Mayo for your kids? Exploring what Cinco de Mayo means to Mexicans and how the holiday’s historical significance unlocks a rich heritage and reverence for learning about other cultures.
Celebrated on May 5th each year, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the anniversary of Mexico’s victory over the French in 1862. At the Battle of Puebla, General Ignacio Zaragoza led a group of Mexican soldiers against nearly 8,000 French soldiers. Despite being outnumbered and poorly trained compared to the French, Zaragoza led the Mexicans to a decisive victory.
Only a few days after Zaragoza’s victory, Mexico’s president declared a national holiday, “Battle of Puebla Day” or “Battle of Cinco de Mayo.” This declaration marked the beginning of an intentional celebration focused on Mexican heritage and resilience in the face of adversity.
Eventually, Cinco de Mayo became a commonly celebrated holiday throughout America and eventually across the world. Rightfully so, there has been a recent attempt to expand the celebrations surrounding Cinco de Mayo into a larger celebration of Latin American culture. In the Mexican state of Puebla, however, May 5th remains a highly popular holiday to honor the original bravery and courage surrounding the Battle of Puebla.
Part of the American popularity and infatuation with Cinco de Mayo stems from key moments involving Chicano activists in the 1960s. Since then, some of the largest American Cinco de Mayo festivals take place in Los Angeles and Houston.
Even though Mexico’s conflict with France continued after Cinco de Mayo in 1862, General Zaragoza’s commitment and leadership cultivated a strong sense of national unity and pride within Mexico. These qualities remain relevant and strong throughout Mexican culture worldwide.
Part of the emphasis of Cinco de Mayo for kids exists in the opportunities to cultivate healthy awareness about other cultures and their celebrations. If you or your family has every served in different cultural contexts through missionary or outreach work, you might have experienced the difficulties of crossing cultures.
Unfortunately, there are widespread misconceptions about Cinco de Mayo. Namely, most people think Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico’s independence. Further, Cinco de Mayo sadly marks a disappointing moment for cultural appropriation.
Amidst the variety of business opportunities associated with Cinco de Mayo, the holiday’s roots within war and continued oppression throughout Mexico don’t make for the perfect holiday. Not to mention, Cinco de Mayo is not widely recognized across Mexico in the same way it is in America.
However, there are pockets of American culture that appropriately and respectfully honor the original celebrations associated with Cinco de Mayo.
When discussing and celebrating Cinco de Mayo with our kids, there’s a unique opportunity to teach them about the history, significance, and respect attached to cross-cultural holidays. Here are two takeaways to fuel your conversation about Cinco de Mayo with your kids.
Misunderstanding is part of our human nature. In and of itself, misunderstanding can be harmless. However, when misunderstanding leads to more serious situations such as un-repentance or intentional harm towards people things start to turn in a negative direction.
Cinco de Mayo presents an opportunity for celebration and relationships to be built. Within these moments, there’s also a chance for us to approach our potential misunderstandings and seek understanding. This reality exists at the core of the Christian story.
Throughout Jesus’ ministry on earth, people consistently misunderstood His message of salvation. Despite humanity’s misunderstanding, Jesus still provides a way to receive the gift of salvation. Within Jesus’ example, we find a model for the path to understanding.
Cinco de Mayo is only one holiday where people work so passionately to convince people of the truth. What if you used the opportunity to make Cinco de Mayo for your kids about telling others about the truth of salvation? After all, to discover God involves the greatest movement from misunderstanding to understanding ever.
Traits like bravery and courage contain universal appeal. Across cultures, heroes are immortalized for their brave and courageous actions in any environment. Also, Cinco de Mayo presents the chance for your kids to learn more about these qualities.
On a deeper lever, you can engage your kids in conversations about where bravery and courage really come from. Throughout the Bible, God calls certain people to grow in their courage. Additionally, the Bible brims with moments of bravery in the face of adversity.
As you explore these qualities with your children consider having conversations about their own level of bravery and courage. Encourage them to think about moments where they’ve felt brave. Or situations where it’s hard to be courageous.
This year, balance celebrating Cinco de Mayo by eating tacos and guacamole with learning more about the importance behind this holiday. It’s worth knowing what Cinco de Mayo means to people in Latin America cultures. Here are a few Cinco de Mayo facts to help your kids learn more about this holiday.
Unfortunately, Cinco de Mayo is often confused with Mexican Independence Day. They aren’t the same thing. In fact, Mexican Independence Day occurred 50 years earlier than the original Cinco de Mayo.
In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is primarily celebrated with parties, food, and drinks. Yet, in Mexico, there’s an emphasis on celebrating and honoring the Mexican military. Also, a few activities include war re-enactments, festivals, and military parades to honor current and past military.
In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is not a federal holiday, which means that most businesses remain open. Even though Cinco de Mayo isn’t Mexico’s Independence Day, most school districts give kids the day off.
According to the California Avocado Commission, Americans consume close to 80 million avocados around Cinco de Mayo. That’s close to 40,000,000 pounds of avocados. For reference, that’s equal to 2,600 elephants or 9 spaceships. That’s a lot of guacamole.
Right now, Cinco de Mayo might just be a vague celebration to your kids that includes good tacos, chips, and salsa. However, there’s so much more to Cinco de Mayo than food.
This year, you have the opportunity to teach your kids about the meaning and significance behind Cinco de Mayo. As you celebrate this holiday, consider how you can help your kids learn more about leadership, bravery, and respect. Don’t worry though. You can enjoy your Mexican food too.
Jackson Greer is a Special Projects Manager for Focus on the Family. He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Clara. They love feeding birds, debating whether or not to get a cat, and reading William Carlos Williams’ poetry together. Also, he is a former high school English teacher and a defender of the Post Office.
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