Happy Cinco De Mayo! Merry Cinco De Mayo? I’m not sure what the proper greeting is for the 5^th of May. I am sure it is not Mexican Independence Day, for which it is commonly mistaken. The day, for those who do not know, celebrates the unlikely victory of the Mexican army over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

Another common mistake people make: the tooth fairy does not work the entire world leaving little kids gifts for their newly lost tooth. In Mexico and other Latin countries, the job of the Tooth Fairy is performed by El Ratón Pérez.

El Raton Perez, (AKA Ratoncito Perez, AKA El Raton de los Dientes) was created by Luis Coloma in 1894 when the Queen of Spain contracted the writer to create a story for her son, King Alfonso XIII, who lost his tooth at the age of 8. El Raton Perez does the same job as the tooth fairy in much the same manner. Lose a tooth, place it under your pillow and receive a gift. The gifts can range from money to candy (which seems ironically inappropriate).

El Raton Perez has starred in movies and has been part of major ad campaigns across the world. So next time your child loses a tooth, don’t be scared if you see a mouse running through the house.