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Saturday, May 05, 2007

Happy Cinco de Mayo (but not on my fajita, please!)

Everyone knows the story about the great ship Titanic and how it collided with an iceberg, killing almost everyone on board.

If you don't, you can catch up by watching James Cameron's epic movie "Titanic" which stars the cutie-patootie and greatly talented Leonardo DiCaprio and the brilliant and georgeous Kate Winslet (although, be forewarned about the less than sparkling screenplay: "Rose!" "Jack!" "Jack!" "Rose!")

What is not well known is that the ship was to go south after making a stop in New York harbor. Her last stop was to be Vera Cruz, on the Gulf side of Mexico.

In the ship's hold was a huge shipment of Hellman's mayonnaise, a once thoroughly owned British company, destined for the Mexican port. Alas, it was never to arrive and Mexicans had to wait years for their first taste of mayonnaise.

Ever since, on this day, all of Mexico remembers "Sinko de Mayo."

(I understand that the telling of this story signals the initiation of the playing of very loud Mariachi music and the drinking of great amounts of Tequila, Margaritas, and Dos Equis.)

3 comments:

June Butler said...

I'll just repeat what I said at MadPriest's place because it's hard for me to think in Spanish:

Nosotros (Grandpère y yo) celebráramos ese día, la fiesta del Cinco de Mayo, al Restaurante La Casa del Sol. Olé!

Muthah+ said...

?Que horror?!! ?Ayiii, hermana, donde encuentras las chistes?

Elizabeth Kaeton said...

Umm. . . Mimi, perhaps you could have a word in Spanish with Lauren here and then somebody can translate for the rest of us gringos.