Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla. 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.

Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day. Instead, it commemorates a single battle. In 1861, Benito Juárez was elected president of Mexico. At the time, the country was in financial ruin after years of internal strife, and the new president was forced to default on debt payments to European governments.

In response, France, Britain and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz, Mexico, demanding repayment. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and withdrew their forces. The French sent 6,000 troops under General Charles Latrille de Lorencez set out to attack Puebla de Los Angeles, a small town in east-central Mexico.

Benito Juárez rounded up a ragtag force of 2,000 loyal men—many of them either Indigenous Mexicans or of mixed ancestry—and sent them to Puebla. Vastly outnumbered and poorly supplied, the Mexican nationals defeated the French in one day.

So enjoy your visit to Cactus Cantina or the Flora-Bama today, but remember to raise you glass (margarita, beer or water) to Benito Juárez and his troops for a great battle.