Happy Cinco De Mayo

(CNN)– Today is Cinco De Mayo, but before you grab the chips and salsa at your favorite Mexican restaurant, take a minute to know what you are actually celebrating.

Contrary to popular belief, Cinco De Mayo is not Mexico’s Independence Day.

It had been a sovereign nation for more than 50 years before the first Cinco De Mayo in 1862.

the day commemorates an unlikely Mexican victory over much better equipped French troops.

The battle and Cinco De Mayo serve as a symbol of Mexico’s resistance to invaders.