Cinco de Mayo; The Real Story

So this past Thursday I went out and I saw people celebrating Cinco de Mayo. The celebrants sported sombreros, bottles of tequila and said ARIBA ARIBA. The funny thing is most people so not know why it is actually celebrated, Contrary to popular belief it is not the true day of Mexican independence. Mexico gained their independence on September 16, 1810 and is called Grito de Dolores. This true date is months after the day that is stereotypically celebrated as Mexico's "Fourth of July". The real reason it is stated that we celebrate this day is to celebrate Mexican heritage and pride in the United States. So basically the day people think they are celebrating independence is just historically a day for Mexicans to celebrate their culture. In modern times it has been placed in the same category as St. Patrick's day. A celebration accompanied with massive amounts of alcohol and special costumery. Next year I will think of this as a more important day and not just one to party on.