Cinco De Mayo Has NOTHING to do with Mayonnaise

I have received several emails this week in regards to this weekends Cinco De Mayo Celebration. You'd be surprised how many people think this celebration has to with Mayonnaise. . .

I actually heard this story when I was a kid:

Most people don't know that back in 1912, Hellmann's mayonnaise was manufactured in England . In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled 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. But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York . The ship hit an iceberg and sank, and the cargo was forever lost. The people of Mexico, who were crazy about mayonnaise, and were eagerly awaiting its delivery, were disconsolate at the loss. Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning, which they still observe to this day. The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th and is known, of course, as Sinko de Mayo.

Now of course NONE of this is true, but makes for a great story!

Here however are some random facts about Cinco De Mayo you might not know:

#1.)  It's Not Mexican Independence Day.  Mexican Independence Day is September 16th and it's called "Grito de Dolores".

#2.)  It Celebrates a Victory Over France.  In 1861, Mexico defaulted on loans from a bunch of countries in Europe so FRANCE invaded, but on May 5th, 1862, the Mexicans won.

#3.)  It's More Popular in the U.S. Than It Is in Mexico.  It's not a national holiday In Mexico.

#4.)  They Celebrate in Chandler, Arizona by Racing Chihuahuas.