the fifth of may {may 5, 2022}

 Le cinq mai in 1921...

On May 5, 1921, Chanel No. 5 officially debuted in Coco Chanel's boutique on the Rue Cambon in Paris. The new fragrance immediately revolutionized the perfume industry and has remained popular for a century. 

In 1921, Parisian fashion designer Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel asked Russian perfumer to the czars Ernest Beaux to create something that "that smells like a woman, not a flower bed."

There are lots of stories about the origin of this scent but this is a fun one: Beaux came up with several different scents and since Chanel was in the midst of a horrible headache, she instructed him to leave the bottles on the mantel. Minutes after he left, she sprang from the sofa and began sniffing the contents of the bottles. It seems that the fifth bottle caught her attention and bottle number five was chosen. Five was also her lucky number. True or not? No one really knows except Chanel herself.

The Chanel bottle on the right belonged to my mom. I found it while cleaning out her bathroom drawers at her house after she had moved into assisted living.  Chanel No. 5 was her favorite perfume. I bought the bottle of Chanel No. 5 on the left in October 2019 while shopping at Aéroport Charles de Gaulle before heading back to the US. The last two years of sheltering and avoiding crowds put a damper on using perfume. Time to get back to a spritz here and there.

❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁

Cinco de mayo in 1862...

Cinco de Mayo, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. This day is also known as Battle of Puebla Day. While it is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations.

My brother Pat has a really tasty margarita recipe and is it ever good. We fondly call them "Pataritas." 

PAT'S REALLY GOOD MARGARITA RECIPE

One drink:

3 oz. margarita mix

1 1/4 oz. tequila

1/4 oz. Grand Marnier

1/4 oz. Cointreau

1/4 oz. Triple Sec

1/4 oz. Irish Mist

Squeeze of fresh lime juice

Salt the rim of a margarita glass and add freshly squeezed lime juice.

Put the margarita mix, tequila, Grand Marnier, Cointreau, Triple Sec, Irish Mist, and 5 ice cubes in a shaker. Shake vigorously until thoroughly mixed and cold. Pour into the margarita glass.

Party crowd:

Find the biggest vessel you have and pour in

60 oz. margarita mix

25 oz. tequila (750 ml)

4 shots Grand Marnier

4 shots Cointreau

4 shots Triple Sec

4 shots Irish Mist

Lots of limes cut into 8 pieces

Squeeze lime juice into glasses. Add margaritas and ice cubes.