Biggest Thanksgiving myths

With a history dating back to the 1600s, and not much in the way of written records, it stands to reason that a few of the tales and traditions surrounding Thanksgiving are, well, a little off base.

How much is fact and how much is fiction?

Visit Encarta to take a quiz to see how much you know about the holiday. But, before you go, here’s a cheat sheet of some of the most common misconceptions about a day now known for wretched excess and way too much football.

1. The Founding Fathers established Thanksgiving as a national holiday.

2. Eating turkey makes you sleepy.

3. The day after Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the year.

4. Sweet potatoes and yams are the same thing.

5. The first Thanksgiving was a serious, family-oriented event.

6. The food we eat at Thanksgiving today is pretty much the same as what the Pilgrims ate in the 1600s.

7. The Pilgrims dressed in only black and white clothing.

8. Guests at the first Thanksgiving watched the Cowboys play the Redskins on TV. (Okay, just kidding!)

To find out more bits of fact and fiction, check out the “Thanksgiving Myths Quiz” at Encarta.