While many Americans use Cinco de Mayo as a reason to enjoy Mexican cuisine and culture, there is much more significance behind the day.

Though it is sometimes mistaken to be Mexico’s Independence Day, Cinco de Mayo actually commemorates the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, during the Franco-Mexican War. At that time, France was ruled by Napoleon III, who sought to create an empire in the country.

The particularly noteworthy part about that battle was that the Mexican army had less than half of the soldiers of the French army but somehow still managed to defeat it.

It was seen as a symbolic victory for the people of that country and others and helped establish unity.

With Mexico being so close to the United States, this also had significance for our nation.

Some historians have said had Mexico not defeated the French in the May 5 battle, France could have gone to the aid of the Confederacy in the U.S. Civil War, and the war could have had a different outcome.

In 2005, Congress passed a resolution calling on the president to issue a proclamation that called all people in the United States to observe Cinco de Mayo with ceremonies and other activities.

Schools and other organizations educate people about the meaning of the day, and businesses have taken advantage of the celebration.

Before you go out to eat some Mexican food or listen to a mariachi band today, take a minute to reflect on the history of the day.