Thanksgiving Myths and Facts

Compare each myth with its true counterpart below.

MYTH: The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.
TRUTH: They landed in Provincetown. There was no rock.

MYTH: Thanksgiving dinner was a religious family affair.
TRUTH: It was primarily a community event complete with a local Indian tribe.

MYTH: The first Thanksgiving dinner was celebrated by the Pilgrims in 1621.
TRUTH: Texans will tell you that the first Thanksgiving was celebrated by Spanish explorers on the banks of the Rio Grande in 1598, 23 years before the Pilgrims.

MYTH: The first Thanksgiving dinner took place on the fourth Thursday in November.
TRUTH: The original feast occurred between Sept. 21 and Nov. 9. The event lasted nearly a week and was based on English harvest festivals.

MYTH: The Pilgrims intended to land on Cape Cod.
TRUTH: They were aiming for the Hudson River area of New York state.

MYTH: The Pilgrims lived in log cabins.
TRUTH: Log cabins came years later. They lived in clapboard houses.