holiday

What do July 4th and Alice in Wonderland have in common? →

cmrubinworld:

by C. M. Rubin

July 4, 1776 is known as American Independence Day, the day that commemorates the adoption of America’s Declaration of Independence.  It is the day on which thirteen colonies from Maine to Georgia, (which today consist of Maine, Georgia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, and Rhode Island) overcame many obstacles and finally declared their freedom from the Kingdom of Great Britain.  On this most beloved of national holidays, wherever you happen to be, you will see patriots participating in picnics, arts and crafts events, barbecues, carnivals, fireworks, parades, sporting events and many other public and private events as they celebrate the significance of this important day in the history of the United States.  

While some argue that July 4 is not in fact the actual day that the Declaration of Independence was signed, no one denies the bigger significance - 13 states declared themselves free.  Freedom at last from British rule.  Freedom to start anew.  Freedom to pursue life and happiness inspired by Thomas Jefferson’s eloquent words that the first all important step forward had been made.   Many years later, Jefferson wrote that the Declaration of Independence was “intended to be an expression of the American mind, and to give to that expression the proper tone and spirit called for by the occasion.”  I also imagine the colonists thinking, much like Alice in Wonderland might have wondered in her time, “Which way from here?”  

July 4, 1862 is also known to many as Alice in Wonderland Day, the day that commemorates Lewis Carroll’s first telling of the famous children’s story to his young inspiration, Alice Liddell.  It is the day on which Carroll sent his child friend Alice down a rabbit hole in his far-fetched tale, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. During the course of her journey, Alice finds the courage to overcome the strange, often intimidating characters she meets in the kingdom of wonderland, realizing they are just ridiculous obstacles in her path. 

Some years ago, the Story Museum in Oxford, England created an annual event to celebrate the birthday of this most beloved of children’s stories either on July 4 or as close to the date.  If you happen to be in Oxford, England for what is called Alice’s Day, you will see Alice in Wonderland fans participating in picnics, arts and crafts events, barbecues, theater workshops and many other creative events as they celebrate the significance of this important date in the history of English literature.  While some argue that July 4 is not in fact the first time Carroll told the story to Alice Liddell, it is hard to deny the bigger significance of this day in her life.  Carroll created the story to free his heroine.  In an age when neither children nor educated young women had social rights, Carroll’s fantastical story provided the first all important clues to the way Alice might claim her freedom.  Many, many years later when the President of Columbia University publicly honored Alice Liddell with an honorary doctorate, acknowledging her as “the moving cause of this truly noteworthy contribution to English literature,”  I believe Alice had come to fully understand the meaning of freedom.  In her moving acceptance speech she remarked, “I love to  think, however unworthy I am, that Mr. Dodgson - Lewis Carroll — knows and rejoices with me now.”

And so, “Which way from here?” All that remains to be said is in the pictures and in this updated sentiment, originally expressed by the Virginia Gazette (with my thanks). ”Thus may the 4th of July, that glorious and ever memorable day, be celebrated through America and England, by the sons and daughters of freedom, from age to age till time shall be no more. Amen, and Amen.”

          Alice Liddell as the Beggar Maid and as distinguished honoree


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C.M. Rubin has more than two decades of professional experience in development, marketing, and art direction for a diverse range of media businesses.  She is also the author of three bestselling books, including  The Real Alice In Wonderland.

Cinco de Mayo: NOT Mexico's Independence Day →

With a history steeped in battles and rebuilding, Mexico has earned every right to be proud. Today marks a Mexican holiday that more and more people every year celebrate in the United States, many not knowing why they do it: The “Batalla de Puebla” (Battle of Puebla) or “Cinco de Mayo” (Fifth of May).

While it may all seem like a huge fiesta now, the history of this holiday is covered in bloodshed and remembrance.

Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not the celebration of Mexico’s independence day. The El Grito de la Indepedencia (Cry of Independence) is held annually on Sept. 16 in honor of Mexico’s independence from Spanish rule in 1810.

Cinco de Mayo is the celebration of freedom from a different oppressive European empire: France.

French occupation viciously swept across Mexico after the Mexican-American War of 1846-48. Mexico was left ripped to shreds and bankrupt after having suffered incredible defeat against the Americans. By the 1850s, the country was in a state of crisis.

Newly elected President Benito Juarez issued a moratorium on July 17, 1861 to help get a handle on his country’s wrecked economy, according to UCLA’s Chicano and Latino issues resource center.

The moratorium stipulated a hold on all foreign debt payments for the next two years so that Mexico could get out of financial ruin. Payments could resume after the two-year mark, but in the meantime, Mexico was forced to default on debts abroad.

England, Spain and France — all of which Mexico owed money to — were furious. According to History.com, all three sent naval ships to Veracruz to demand reimbursement. British and Spanish forces eventually negotiated with Mexico and withdrew, but it was France that decided to take severe action.

Seeing an opportunity to take advantage of a fallen nation, French ruler Napoleon III had hoped to be victorious over the weakened Mexican army and carve out an independent empire for France.

According to UCLA, there is some speculation that the United States’ enactment of the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, which stated that any European attempts to re-colonize any part of the Americas would be considered an act of war, may have sparked the French invasion frenzy. At the time, the United States’ quick and immense expansion was seen as a threat to other world powers.

In 1862, French General Charles Latrille de Lorencez was ordered to march his forces into Veracruz and attack with 6,000 troops and 2,000 French loyalists headed for Puebla de Los Angeles, just east of Mexico City — Napoleon’s ultimate goal. In response, Juarez gathered up any Mexican loyalists he could find and put together a 4,000-strong, but hackneyed, force against the French. Many were farmers armed with hunting rifles and machetes, according to a PBS report.

For nearly 50 years, the French army had remained undefeated until they clashed with the Mexican army on May 5, 1862 in Puebla. Led by Texas-born General Ignacio Zaragoza, the outnumbered and poorly supplied Mexican army defeated French forces in what became known as the “Batalla de Puebla.”

According to History.com, the French lost 500 men in a single day, while Mexican forces lost fewer than 100. The victory gave the Mexicans a huge morale boost, and the French withdrew six years later. Puebla de Los Angeles was renamed Puebla de Zaragoza in honor of the general’s great triumph.

Today, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated widely in the United States with parties and parades. According to UCLA’s Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture, surprisingly, the holiday was invented in modern-day California in 1863, and has continued to be celebrated in the United States, but is almost completely ignored in Mexico. Only a few states, including Puebla, recognize it.

Nonetheless, Cinco de Mayo continues to be a strong tradition for Mexican-Americans to express great pride for their homeland, their people and their history.