Cinco de Mayo yet another excuse for Americans to fiesta
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By Andrew McGinn

Staff Writer

Monday, May 05, 2008

SPRINGFIELD — Americans have absolutely no problem celebrating other countries' holidays for them.

After all, if Mexicans aren't going to savor a margarita today on Cinco de Mayo, May 5, to bask in the glory of the Battle of Puebla, then we will.

"I think it's kind of weird," confessed Damian Flores, a waiter at El Toro, one of Springfield's Mexican restaurants. "We don't celebrate in Mexico like this.

"It's starting to be more like an American party than a Mexican party."

OK, so Mexicans don't really party on this day.

"People will have a couple of drinks. But not like here," marveled Flores, who's been in the U.S. for four years.

Like St. Paddy's Day, Cinco de Mayo has become just another excuse for Americans to, well, drink, confided a few waiters at Los Mariachis.

They're more than happy, though, to let Americans celebrate the military exploits of Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza over the French on May 5, 1862.

Wait. Who?

"Americans don't know what the day is for," said Oscar Alvarado, an employee at Los Mariachis.

"They think it's Independence Day," added co-worker Juventina Nunez.

Mexico, for the record, celebrates its Independence Day on Sept. 16 — so put it on your calendar now.

And with that said, here are a few more foreign holidays we can completely take over:

• Jan. 26 — Australia Day.

Crack open a Foster's for Australia's national day of pride.

• Feb. 6 — Waitangi Day.

C'mon, who doesn't want to help New Zealand celebrate an 1840 treaty between Britain and some Maori chiefs?

• May 24 — Victoria Day.

The holiday celebrating Queen Victoria's birthday is one of the few things Canada has that we didn't give them — but like Tim Hortons and Neil Young, we can taketh that away, too, if we really wanted.

• July 14 — Bastille Day.

French Revolution: big fun.

• Aug. 17 — Indonesian Independence Day.

It'd make a killer party, for sure, but it's presumably illegal to do anything fun.


Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0352 or amcginn@coxohio.com.
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It seems very ironic.

Viva Mexico Cabrones!!!!!!!!!!

Un besote para ti...

para ti tambien reina.
lets' just speak in english if not some people here may think that you and me are illegals.

Knows you are not illegal my brother and even if you were that wouldn't matter to me...

love ya my sister.
sadly u represent a minority in this virtual land dear.

I know so very much intolerance in this virtual land

Aussie's don't drink Foster's. That is strictly for export. Try drinking a VB or a XXXX instead.

if you can please say hello to my australian sister.
I miss her.

If its any consolation, i don't drink at all so the cinco de mayo "holiday" doesn't affect me at all.

But I'm all about the day of the dead ^.^

que se vayan a la chinga de su madre, si no les gustan...
Viva Mexcio...viva los Latinos, raza fuerte !

SOMOS POCOS PERO LOCOS