Today is the 5th of May-There will be sales in department stores, a few days ahead of sales advertised for this coming Mother's Day. There will be parades, picnics and mariachi music and programs in all of the Mexican-American communities all over the US. Ever since my family resided in US in 1960, we have always heard of the Cinco de Mayo Celebration in the cities that we have resided in the East Coast, Midwest and of course the West Coast where there are a large Mexican-Americans populations. It is similar to the celebration of Labor Day or for that matter a celebration of Spring. So what exactly is the Cinco de Mayo Festival?
Cinco de Mayo—or the fifth of May—commemorates the Mexican army's 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). A relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations. Cinco de Mayo traditions include parades, mariachi music performances and street festivals in cities and towns across Mexico and the United States. It is not celebrating the Independence of Mexico, which is celebrated on September 16.
On the subject of sales in the Department Stores: The other day my coffee percolator just died. It was only three years old. It was a gift from Gevalia Coffee. I immediately went shopping for a replacement. I was looking for a similar design and it has to be white. Why white? All our other appliances in the kitchen are white, so any other color will not be acceptable. It will stick like a sore thumb in the kitchen décor. I can not believe that in the three department stores ( Macy, Penney, Sears), 99% of the coffee makers in display are either black or stainless steel. Only one or two brands are in white. I saw one brand that I like at JC Penney. The price was $70. However the sales lady whisper to me that if I purchase this during the Cinco de Mayo sale, it will cost me only $40. Since it is only a matter of two days wait, I decided to forgo my brewed coffee and just enjoy Instant coffee during this interim period. If you enjoyed freshly brewed coffee, there is no comparison to Instant Coffee. But for $30 savings I can wait for 2 days.
So my dear readers enjoy the spring-like weather, whether your are celebrating Cinco de Mayo or not, wherever you are!
No comments:
Post a Comment