Cinco de Mayo and More Alcohol
Recently, a concerned community member stewed over whether or not to take his children to a Cinco de Mayo celebration held in his city. As a young child, he remembered Cinco de Mayo being all the sound of mariachis, the taste of tamales, and mischievous kids cracking confetti-filled eggshells on each other’s heads. But, he indicated, the crowds got bigger and people were drinking too much until he and his family stopped going.
Over the years, Cinco de Mayo has changed from a day of celebrating the Mexican army to a day of drinking margaritas. In fact, it’s becoming a little like Saint Patrick’s Day, and is among the top five drinking holidays in the United States. Further, 35 percent of accidents on Cinco de Mayo now involve a drunk driver with the BAC level of .15 or above. The drinking began to become a larger part of Cinco de Mayo when Americans were invited across the border to participate in the partying. Soon, the alcohol consumption and the partying crossed the border into the Southern States and was used in boosting tourism. The pattern has continued across the country and alcohol marketers used the holiday as a way to promote their tequila and margarita mixes.
But, Cinco de Mayo doesn’t have to be all about drinking. Many groups are joining a movement across the country that wants to return to a Cinco de Mayo of the past. People like the one mentioned above want do take alcohol out of the party and put historical Mexican celebrations and bringing the traditional fiesta back into Cinco de Mayo.
Source: https://sks.sirs.swb.orc.scoolaid.net