Page 13 - IAV Digital Magazine #425

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
Cinco de Mayo is not a celebration of Mexico’s Independence (which is actually September 16th), but rather a celebra- tion of Mexico’s vic- tory in the battle at Puebla on May 5th, 1862 during the Franco-Mexican war. It was an unlikely win for the Mexican militia who were heavily outnumbered by the French. The victory became a source of pride for the country and is the reason we con- tinue to celebrate today.
Although the Mexican Army won the battle at Puebla on May 5th, 1862 the French went on to win the war, occu- pying the region for five years.
For the leader of France, Napoleon III, the battle at Puebla was an attempt at not only spreading his empire but at conquering a key Mexican access point to the U.S., where he intended to lend support to the confederate army during the Civil War in an effort to keep the U.S. divid-
ed and consequently less powerful.
Abraham Lincoln sympathized with the Mexican cause during the French occupation but was unable to lend direct support to the nation due to the U.S. Civil War, which was tak- ing place at the same time. When the Civil War finally ended, the U.S. forced France to withdraw its troops from Mexico and their empire col- lapsed.
Cinco de Mayo is not a federal holiday in Mexico and is a relatively minor holi- day outside of Puebla, Veracruz and the United States. In Puebla and Veracruz, how- ever, Cinco de Mayo is a very important state holiday cele- brated with parades, festivals and reen- actments.
Cinco de Mayo became a popular holiday in the U.S. after President Franklin Roosevelt enacted the “Good Neighbor Policy” in 1933 to improve relations with Latin American countries.
According to the California Avocado Commission, Americans consume up to 81 million pounds of avocados on Cinco de Mayo every year. Holy guacamole!
Los Angeles, California! Other U.S. cities that throw big celebrations for Cinco de Mayo are Denver, New York, Phoenix and Houston. Want to throw your own Cinco de Mayo party? Read our post, How to Plan the Ultimate Cinco de Mayo Party, for tips!
One U.S. city cele- brates Cinco de Mayo with a Chihuahua race. Can you guess which city? It’s Chandler, Arizona. Even Vancouver cel- ebrates, marking the day with a “skydiving boogie” that consists of aerial acrobatics and an air show.
According to the Daily Meal, the United States con- sumes twice as much Tequila as Mexico, where the spirit originated.
12
661-266-4-ADS
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
Americans owe Mother's Day to West Virginia native Anna Jarvis, who held a memorial for her mother two years after the latter's death in 1905. After the memorial, Jarvis devoted her efforts to a campaign to make Mother's Day
a nationally recog- nized holiday. The hard work paid off in 1914 when the day was nationally recog- nized.
Anna Jarvis and her sister, Ellsinore, eventually grew to detest what they felt Mother's Day had become. The sisters felt the day had grown too commer- cialized, and spent their family inheri- tance campaigning against Mother's Day.
Ironically, Anna Jarvis never married and had no children.
Rajo Devi Lohan of India is believed to be the world's oldest
new mother. Lohan gave birth to a baby girl at age 70 after receiving IVF treat- ment. Within two years of the child's birth, reports indicat- ed Lohan's health was deteriorating.
Lina Medina is con- sidered to be the youngest to ever give birth. Medina delivered a 61/2- pound baby boy in Peru at the age of 5 years and 7 months. Medina was believed to have a rare condi- tion called known as precocious puberty, which enabled her to conceive at such a young age.
Ancient Egyptians had their own form of Mother's Day by honoring the god- dess Isis, who was known as the mother of pharaohs.
The wife of Russian peasant Feodor Vassilyev is consid- ered to be the record holder for birthing the most children.
Mrs. Vassilyev is believed to have delivered 69 children between 1725 and 1765. These children were delivered in a total of 27 births, including 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets and four sets of quadruplets. Though little is known about the births or Mrs. Vassilyev, 67 of the 69 children were said to have sur- vived infancy.
The bond between mother and child is not exclusive to the human race. Mother chimpanzees, for instance, are said to develop lifelong rela- tionships with their children.
Carnations are the flowers most associ- ated with Mother's Day. White carna- tions are worn in the memory of deceased mothers, while red and pink carnations are worn for those mothers who are still alive.