Explaining Cinco De Mayo

Two days late, from Lest Darkness Fall, an explanation of the Mexican national holiday.

Although many people think Cinco De Mayo is Mexico’s Independence Day, it actually commemorates Mexico defeating the French at the Battle Of Puebla on May 5, 1862. In short, the Mexican government was just as inept with money then as they are now, and they defaulted on loans to various foreign countries. France, never one to pass up a chance for defeat, attacked Mexico in retaliation for them defaulting on a loan. As with most French wars, France suffered a major defeat and this defeat led to the Cinco De Mayo Holiday.

The whole story is a bit more complicated than that, but this version pretty much sums it up.