My annual Cinco De Mayo post, complete with some excerpt from years past 🙂 This year we are celebrating with tamales and quesadillas and guacamole!
Growing up in Southern California we claim to be half Mexican, not ethnically but geographically. I remember as a child studying about Missions and learning how to make tortillas, that was in public school. Even now in TN, Christmas Eve means tamales. I LOVE other cultures. It amazes me how some folks are so prejudice about other cultures but then want to travel. If you have a friend from a different culture invite them over, it is like going to their country! So today we celebrate all of the things we like about the Culture of Mexico. And whether we are Scottish, Italian, African or Mexican, we all need Jesus. So let us celebrate how creatively different we are. If we were all rednecks life would be very boring . And if it weren’t for Mexican Holidays like Cinco De Mayo, avocados wouldn’t be on sale at Walmart. And the world is a much better place with avocados.
Here is a repost of my last years Cinco De Mayo post
We are originally from Southern California, and even though we are white folks, being from CA were are mexican at heart! Actually we are some of those rare Americans that really appreciate different cultures. But back to the Mexican neighbors. I do not look Mexican, now some of my “live for the sun” daughters may pass as part Mexican, but I would not. But I do speak some spanish, and found it very funny years ago when a Mexican man in the grocery store asked me in spanish where the eggs were. At that time there were only a handful of Mexican folks in our Mid TN county. Now there are alot. And we are grateful! It means we can now buy cilantro, tomatillos, avacados, and tortillas without having to drive to Nashville. It means we have a local drive thru Mexican restaurant that serves carne asada tacos, and carnitas, that are as good as the ones in Southern California. No wonder because the family that opened the restraunt is from CA. For you really white folks, Taco Bell does not count as Mexican food. So anyway we praise the Lord for Mexican folks and their great cooking! Today is Cinco de Mayo which simply means 5th of May. I guess you could compare it to our July 4th. It is a day of fiestas and celebrations. It really isn’t their Independance Day but is celebrated similarly.
from Wikipedia- Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for “5th of May”) is primarily a regional and not an obligatory federal holiday in Mexico. The holiday commemorates an initial victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín over French forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The date is observed in the United Statesand other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.
Judy says
Hey, you’re right about those avocados. And where would the world be without guacamole! Who would order the vegetarian bowl at Chipotle if they thought they wouldn’t get a huge scoop of guacamole at the end of the line! 🙂
judi says
Loved this post. I too am Mexican in my heart if not in my body. Of course I topped it all off by marrying my beloved who is a Mexican by heritage. I tell our friends here that Taco Bell is “whitican” not Mexican. Of course I still love it but when I want real Mexican food the “Bell” isn’t where I head. I stay home and make my homemade carnitas which my father in law says are better then my mother in laws. 😀 I have yet to conquer corn tortillas and I’ve recently been encouraged to go gluten free so I’m looking forward to tomorrows freebie. I’ve been making my own flour ones since I was dating my husband in high school. His mom taught me how.