Church of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios and Popocatépetl, Puebla, Mexico

From victory to festivity. Radius Images/Shutterstock

Contrary to what many people believe, today, Cinco de Mayo, is not Mexico's Independence Day. That holiday is celebrated on September 16th. Instead, Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexico's victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. While this day commemorates a significant historic event, celebrations in Mexico are relatively quiet and primarily focus on Puebla.

In Mexico, the celebration is known as "Battle of Puebla Day," after Benito Pablo Juárez Garca, Mexico's then-president, declared it a national holiday in 1862. Today, the people of Puebla celebrate with parades, speeches, and battle reenactments. The Church of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, pictured here, was already nearly 300 years old when the Battle of Puebla was fought.