Celebrate Mexican culture with food, drink and fun
The Episcopal Church of St. Mary-in-the-Highlands invites the public to its first-ever Cinco de Mayo Dinner in the Parish Hall on Saturday, May 4, from 6 to 8 p.m., celebrating Mexico’s culture and heritage.
Cinco de Mayo, which means “fifth of May” in Spanish, commemorates Mexico’s improbable defeat of French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, during the invasion and subsequent short occupation by France under Napoleon III. Though Mexico lost the war to France a year later, the Puebla victory, over an army nearly twice as large, boosted morale and resulted in greater Mexican unity and pride.
While in Mexico mostly celebrated in the state of Puebla, Cinco de Mayo has taken on a slightly different significance here. Learning news of the victory in 1862, Mexican Americans in California began celebrating and displaying pride in their home country and heritage. Eventually the observance was adopted by communities all over the U.S. to recognize the contributions of Mexican culture.
The event will be a chance to enjoy some of those contributions, from food and drink to music and traditions like the breaking of a piñata. The suggested donation for the dinner is $20/adult and $5/child aged 6-12. Reservations are requested via email to [email protected] or by phone to Ralph Arce at 845-440-8290.
St. Mary’s is located in Cold Spring at 1 Chestnut St., by the traffic light — the intersection of Route 9D (Chestnut Street-Morris Avenue) and Route 301 (Main Street). For more information, visit stmaryscoldspring.org.
