Fun Facts
- Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day! It commemorates the Mexican army victory over a superior French force at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 (Americans were busy with their Civil War at the time.) Mexican Independence Day(s), September 15 & 16, commemorate Fr. Miguel Hidalgo's declaration of Independence in 1810.
- Hidalgo? Yes, that is the name of the Mexican state in which Tulancingo is located! It is named after Fr. Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753-1811) who is considered the Father of the Mexican Nation. His full name was Don Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo-Costilla y Gallaga Mandarte Villaseñor. Try saying that fast.
- In 2010 Mexico celebrated a Bicentennial and a Centennial: the 1810 Independence movement (i.e. Fr. Hidalgo era), and the start of the Mexican Revolution in 1910 that ushered in the modern state of Mexico.
- For the period 2012-2016 Tulancingo had the honor of being a Mexico City of Enterprise, Ciudad Emprendedora.
- Tulancingo Food Specialties: Guajolotes, literally "little turkeys", are actually delicious open faced mixtures of toasted pan (bread), fried beans, salsa, cheese and various meats. Everyone that goes to Tulancingo comes back loving them! Another specialty: moralianos, apparently each region of Mexico makes their own variety (like tamales.) And, when you get to Tulancingo, don't ask for a burrito, No comprende! Burritos are largely a Tex-Mex invention.
- Tulancingo is also known as Municipio Tulancingo de Bravo, Nicholas Bravo was an important leader and business man during the Independence period.
- The larger Tulancingo metropolitan area in 2005 had a population of 205,000, approximately the population of the Tri-Valley cities of Pleasanton, Livermore, and Dublin combined.
- Náhuatl: Ever ask yourself why place names like Teotihuacán, Huapalcalco, and Oaxaca don't sound very Spanish? If you guessed they are Aztec/Toltec names, you would be right! The pre-Columbian language, still spoken by nearly a quarter million people in Hidalgo is called Náhuatl (pronounced 'nahua'.) Hidalgo has about 10% of the remaining Náhuatl speakers.
- Cinco de Mayo, celebrated more by Mexican people in the US and somewhat by the people of the Mexican State of Puebla (El Día de la Batalla de Puebla), was fought on the 5th (cinco) of May (de Mayo) in 1862. The French, ostensibly to settle debt, but in actuality intending to rebuild an overseas empire, attempted to occupy Mexico with a force of 8,000 soldiers, the best of Europe's armies - undefeated in 50 years. Their second goal was to open up a second front, and both help the Confederacy during the American Civil War, and fragment the United States into smaller countries on the North American continent. The over-confident French underestimated the valor and determination of the poorly trained and out numbered Mexican army of 4,500 soldiers in Puebla. The defenders repulsed three full scale attacks and seriously delayed the French attempt to colonize Mexico and help the Confederacy. A year later, Maximillian returned with 30,000 soldiers and occupied Mexico for nearly three years, but that was too late to impact the American Civil War. The first 'Cinco de Mayo' celebrations in 1863, were by Mexicanos who had become Californios and then Americans during the 49er Gold Rush era in California.
More notes, ideas, suggestions, and/or corrections: please contact Jay Galvin, web@ptsca.org
