Vinepair:
In America Cinco de Mayo has evolved to become one of the country’s largest drinking holidays. In 2013, over $600 million dollars worth of beer was sold, according to Nielsen data, which is more beer than is sold for St. Patrick’s Day or the Super Bowl, two holidays where beer consumption is the primary focal point. And most of that beer is Mexican in origin, which has also meant that the Mexican beer sector, thanks to Cinco de Mayo, has continued to grow and thrive north of the border, experiencing the best sector growth in the American market according to EuroMonitor data, second only to the rapid growth of American craft beer.
Suffice it to say, Cinco de Mayo is a behemoth when it comes to selling booze, but how did a holiday that isn’t really even celebrated in Mexico – Mother’s Day, which occurs around the same time, is a much bigger deal – become not only the most powerful U.S. holiday when it comes to selling alcohol, but also the only connection most Americans have to our largest immigrant group? You can thank Texas distributors of Corona in the 1980s.
Yet another completely made up “holiday” created in the service of marketing.
Yes, but this one includes Fajitas and Beer so I’m totally ok with it.
Come to think of it, Christmas as we know it now has little to do with anything Biblical. It was designed to replace German pagan tree-worship rituals on the winter solstice. Same place, same time, different religion. How’s that for marketing?
Cinco de Mayo actually has a long history in California. Beer makers certainly did fuel it’s rapid spread across the rest of the country though.
Maybe, but not to Mexicans. As a San Diego native whose grandmother’s maiden name was Terrazas, trust me—Cinco de Mayo was a drinking holiday for me and my cousins, but meant nothing to my abuelita.
I don’t know whether it’s our deep merchantilist nature or simply our secular heritage, but we are a nation of “made up ‘holiday[s]'” We didn’t have the history of Saint’s feast days, King’s birthdays, and other traditional sources of holidays and festivals. So in true American fashion, we made some new ones up, and of course they involve [over-]consumption! It’s the American Way.
As with religions, all holidays are made up and unnecessary. Some are just more commercial than others.
At least Santa Clause is real.
My days off are necessary so…. Shhhh.
Yep. Coca-Cola told me so.
Ho ho hooooooooooo
Most of the made-up holidays we’d be discussing were considered necessary at some point by someone who wanted to either sell something or to reinforce a belief in the minds of a population. Mission accomplished.
This is not a made up holiday as much as a kidnapped one. 5 Mayo is actually a Mexican holiday. It commemorates a battle that the Mexican army won against a much better equipped French army.
Corona– The beer that is most like “Seinfeld”.
thank god you put a lime in it. Then it tastes like limes. Without, pretty much water in a clear bottle.