What does the battle of Puebla represent for Mexicans?

It was an astonishing victory for Mexico, at a time when the French army was considered the best in the world, and hadn't been defeated for more than 50 years. It was also the first time Mexico had won against such odds (4500 Mexicans vs. 6500 Frenchmen). It was also important because the rest of the world expected a quick defeat for Mexico; instead it marked the beginning of a relatively long war (1861-1867) which at the end, was lost by France.