Why are we even commemorating this fifth of May day? It is not the celebration of Mexican Independence Day. El Grito de la Indepedencia (The Cry of Independence) is held every September 16 in honor of Mexico's independence from Spanish rule in 1810. These festivities mark the victory of an outnumbered and poorly outfitted Mexican army over invading French forces at the Batalla de Puebla (Battle of Puebla) in 1862. Cinco de Mayo was first recognized in California in 1863 and continues to be widely celebrated in the United States. While a source of great national pride for Mexican-Americans, it is almost completely ignored south of the border.