Deep-Fried Friday

 Today in Little Mexico, formerly known as the United States of America, we are celebrating Cinco de Mayo. It's more celebrated here than it actually is in Mexico. 

Yesterday was National Star Wars Day. It is celebrated on May 4 with the slogan "May the Fourth be with you." As Cinco de Mayo is celebrated with the drinking of copious amounts of alcohol, I am left to believe that the Cinco de Mayo slogan is "May the Fifth be with you!"

I will not tell you that this is some kind of "holiday come lately", but I will point out that in Florida forty-five years ago, none of us at Taco Bell had ever heard of Cinco de Mayo. There were no specials on May 5.

I am fascinated that Americans would celebrate a victory by the Mexican Army over the French Army. It's not like it ended a war or anything. Do the Mexicans celebrate the Battle of Gettysburg? Of course not. So why do we celebrate Cinco de Mayo? "May the fifth be with you?"

Why do Americans celebrate a Mexican holiday? Why can't American leaders define "woman"?  If ignorance is bliss, we are on our way to becoming the happiest nation on earth. We may have to make an exception for Ukraine where they still think that they are "winning" a war.

I have a great idea! Let's celebrate October 19 in the United States. Why celebrate October 19?  As you try to open a tab to go to Google, let me save you the keystrokes. On October 19, 1781, the British General Lord Cornwallis surrendered to the Americans and the French at Yorktown, Virginia. 

Does anyone invite you to go out for burgers and fries on October 19? Maybe if we called it 19 de Octubre? I don't think that would bring in the Mexicans. 

I am a marketing guy, maybe if we tied it in with Oktoberfest? Beers and Brats with the Brits? Work with me on this! Help me understand why we celebrate a minor event that happened in another nation but not the event that set the groundwork for our own nation.

Watch your mail later this year for an October 19 celebration. I will just go ahead and warn you, if I am sponsoring it, alcohol will not be involved. That should cut attendance by about 50 per cent.