It’s kind of disillusioning. First it was finding out that St. Patrick’s Day isn’t a big deal in Ireland. For a variety of reasons, its most raucous, over-the-top celebrations take place in America: the Chicago River being dyed green; an almost de rigueur menu of corned beef and cabbage consumed by Americans — Irish or not — on the day, even though such foods aren’t especially traditional on “The Auld Sod;” and tipsy crowds quaffing rivers of green beer and sporting green clothing, some of which is downright tacky and/or bizarre.

Shamrocks abound. Next, I discover that celebrating Cinco de Mayo is a much bigger deal here in the United States than it is in Mexico. Don’t these folks know what they’re missing? Actually, Cinco de Mayo is a huge celebration in one Mexican state. But in only just one — Puebla, located in the central southern part of the country — is it considered a major holiday. It’s not even the Mexican equivalent of our Fourth of July. That takes place on September 16 because on that date in 1821 Mexico finally freed itself from Spanish rule. In the coming decades, however, European powers still coveted Mexico’s riches, and gladly loaned the fledgling nation money as a way of gaining influence. In 1862, France’s Louis Napoleon refused to accept the Mexican government’s loan guarantees and dispatched a force of 6,000 soldiers to march through the state of Puebla to take control of Mexico City, and hence, the country. They were met and ultimately defeated on May 5, 1862, by an ill-trained and ill-equipped mass of 5,000 Mestizo and Zapotec Indians in Puebla.

So that’s the why for Cinco de Maya — at least in Mexico. As for how — the biggest celebrations take place in the state and city of Puebla, which is in Mexico’s south central region. There are military parades, fairs and recreations of the famous battle. Street foods and regional specialties are an important part of the festivities — especially the region’s moles — complex sauces, the most famous of which is Mole Negro, known in Puebla as Mole Poblano. (See the RealCuisine July 10, 2008 column at illinoistimes.com for more about moles.) The further one gets from the region, the less important Cinco de Mayo becomes.

At least until one goes north of the border. Here folks — both Mexican-Americans and gringos like me — regard Cinco de Mayo as the biggest Mexican holiday of the year. Cinco de Mayo recipes abound in cooking publications.

Mexican restaurants offer special meals and celebrations such as the ones Carlos de Leon, chef/owner of Maya restaurant, is planning: a parking lot fest with a band on May 2 and a special dinner on May 5. Why is Cinco de Mayo a bigger deal here than in most of Mexico? The reasons are obscure — as obscure as the reasons St. Patrick’s Day is more important in the U.S. than in Ireland.

And ultimately, although the “why” is interesting, I don’t care. I’m always glad to have an excuse to celebrate — especially when it includes eating great Mexican food!

Contact Julianne Glatz at [email protected].