Happy Cinco de Mayo! I didn’t know anything about this festival so I looked it up, and apparently it’s a minor holiday in México celebrating the defeat of an invading French army by a small Mexican army at the Battle of Puebla (1862).

But it’s celebrated in the USA by the Mexican diaspora. Originally this was because their defeat at the battle of Puebla prevented the French from giving upgraded weapons to the Confederate army in the Civil War, and Latin American countries had abolished slavery once they got their independence and so the Latin American diaspora was opposed to slavery and the Confederacy which would threaten their rights if it won the Civil War. Now it has become a general celebration of Mexican culture. Both of these are great reasons to celebrate.

History.com: Cinco de Mayo

How Cinco de Mayo Helped Prevent a Confederate Victory in the Civil War

Changing Paths challenge day 5 — celebration

I like festivals because they give pattern and meaning to my life. I get to look forward to eight major festivals and several minor festivals, each with its own symbolism and food and seasonal activities. They also fit into tides of the year which have seasonal activities associated with them. This is especially noticeable when summer and winter weather are dramatically different, as they are in Canada.