Happy Holiday

In my never-ending efforts to enrich my readers with little-known facts from my vast knowledge of quirky history, I am continually dredging the depths of my mind and searching obscure and dusty corners of the library for more interesting stories.

Today I’ve got a good one.

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Hellmann’s mayonnaise celebrated the completion of the first century since its creation a few years back.  The tasty spread was invented by Clive Lafford of West Southampton, England in 1901.  Within a few years, the dressing had gained popularity in nearly every part of the world.   In fact, the Titanic was carrying 1,200 cases of the condiment labelled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York.

This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico.  Unfortunately, as you know, the “unsinkable” ship did not make it to New York.  The Titanic hit an iceberg and sank, and 1500 passengers, as well as the entire cargo, were forever lost.

The people of Mexico, who were crazy about Hellmann’s, and were eagerly awaiting its delivery, were broken-hearted at the loss. Their anguish was so great that they declared a memorial holiday, which they still observe to this day.

That National Day of Mourning falls on May 5 each year and is known, of course, as Sinko de Mayo.

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OK, OK, you’ve probably already guessed that the above story is false.  My daughter-in-law, Erin, teaches Spanish in Willard, Missouri and told her students that joke one year, so I couldn’t help but repeat it to you.

As much as I would like to give Erin credit for the story, it has actually been around for quite some time.

According to Snopes.com, “Not that the ‘Sinko de Mayo’ really needs any serious debunking, but for completeness’ sake we note that the final destination of the Titanic was in fact New York (not Vera Cruz, Mexico), the great ship was carrying no jars of mayonnaise among its cargo, and Hellman’s brand mayonnaise was not sold or manufactured in England until fifty years after the Titanic‘s ill-fated voyage.”

What Snopes didn’t say was that Hellmann’s mayonnaise was actually invented by Richard Hellmann after he moved to New York City and opened Hellmann’s Delicatessen.  According to hellmanns.com, he created his mayo in 1920, eight years after the Titanic sank.

OK, now that you are straight on all that, the fact is that Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for “fifth of May”), “is an annual celebration held on May 5.  The date is observed to commemorate the Mexican Army‘s victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla, on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza.  The victory of the smaller Mexican force against a larger French force was a boost to morale for the Mexicans.  A year after the battle, a larger French force defeated Zaragoza at the Second Battle of Puebla, and Mexico City soon fell to the invaders.

“In the United States, Cinco de Mayo has taken on a significance beyond that in Mexico.  More popularly celebrated in the United States than Mexico, the date has become associated with the celebration of Mexican-American culture.  These celebrations began in California, where they have been observed annually since 1863.  The day gained nationwide popularity in the 1980s, thanks especially to advertising campaigns by beer and wine companies.  Today, Cinco de Mayo generates beer sales on par with the Super Bowl.

“In Mexico, the commemoration of the battle continues to be mostly ceremonial, such as through military parades or battle reenactments.  The city of Puebla marks the event with an arts festival, a festival of local cuisine, and re-enactments of the battle.

“Cinco de Mayo is sometimes mistaken for Mexico’s Independence Day—the most important national holiday in Mexico—which is celebrated on September 16, commemorating the Cry of Dolores, which initiated the war of Mexican independence from Spain.”

That information was all according to Wikipedia, which also said, in another area of the site, “Its celebration is regional in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla,  where the holiday is celebrated as El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (English: The Day of the Battle of Puebla).  There is some limited recognition of the holiday in other parts of the country.”

So, why wouldn’t Mexico declare the day of the victory a national holiday? 

Well, who hasn’t beaten the French?

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“Slowed by their loss at Puebla, the French forces retreated and regrouped, and the invasion continued after Napoleon III determinedly sent additional troops to Mexico.  The French were eventually victorious, winning the Second Battle of Puebla on 17 May 1863 and pushing on to Mexico City.  When the capital fell, Juárez’s government was forced into exile in the remote north.”

So that day is a national holiday…in France.  They call it “Hé regarde, Nous vainquons quelqu’un!” In English, that translates to, “Hey look everybody, we beat somebody.”

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OK, the comments about the sad French army were jokes.  I’m sure they have won other battles. 

Surely they have…uh, right?

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Interestingly, as I said, Mexico doesn’t have a national holiday on May 5, but they do have one on May 4.  They call it “May the Fourth be With You”.  Yes, they are huge fans of Star Wars, especially the great Mexican Jedi Master, Obi Juan Kenobe.

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OK, I’ll end this with sincere apologies to Mexicans, the French, and Star Wars fans everywhere.

I hope you and all my readers had a great Cinco de Mayo.

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