Thanksgiving
The Pilgrims and Native Americans initially got along very well with each other.
Myth. Both groups were initially very suspicious of each other. They only became friends and allies after more time had passed.
Christmas is the most important of all the Christian holidays.
Myth. Despite the popularity that Christmas has with the general public, it still takes second place on the Christian calendar to Easter.
St. Patrick was Irish.
Myth. He was actually born in Britain, although he was born when the Romans ruled the isles and his family came from a Roman background.
The Declaration of Independence was signed on the 4th of July.
Myth. While some members of the first Continental Congress did sign the Declaration on July 4th, most did not and the document did not go into effect until nearly August.
The Pilgrims held the first Thanksgiving as a way of contemplating their journey and all they had accomplished and survived.
History. After a long journey and all the losses that went with it, they Pilgrims had finally established a lasting settlement. So the first Thanksgiving fast and the feast that came after it was a way of giving thanks to God.
Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus which was on December 25th.
Myth. While the holiday is meant to celebrate the birth of Jesus, Dec is likely not his actual birthday. More likely the date was chosen in order to incorporate pagan celebrations that already took place around that time.
St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland.
Myth. Records from the Vatican show that at least one other bishop was sent to Ireland to minister to converts there before St. Patrick did.
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence.
History. Although he does not deserve sole credit and was helped by at least five other people including Benjamin Franklin.
The Pilgrims invited the Wampanoag tribe to the feast to improve relations with them.
Myth. The Wampanoag heard all the drunken commotion of the Pilgrim's feast and sent warriors to investigate. When they saw that it was a feast and not an attack, they invited themselves.
Myth. While they are all similar each one has a unique origin and mythos surrounding them.
St. Patrick is responsible for banishing all snakes from Ireland.
Myth. Ireland's geography and climate have always made it a place too hostile for cold blooded snakes to live.
The American Revolution began in 1776.
Myth. While July 4th, 1776 is considered the birthday of America, the colonies were already well into the war by this point.
Thanksgiving didn't become a federally recognized national holiday until during the Civil War.
History. Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving as a national holiday in 1863. He thought that it would help bring Americans together.
Upon his birth, Jesus was visited by three kings, who brought gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Myth. Though the truth is not far off. The bible describes the traveling gift givers as "magi" or wise men, not kings. And it never states how many there were.
The color associated with St. Patrick is blue.
History. While today the color of the holiday is green, that is likely an influence of Irish independence movements in more recent history. However knights belonging to the Order of St. Patrick have traditionally worn blue.
Paul Revere rode on the night of April 18, 1775 to warn of British troops on the move.
History. Although the story popularized by Henry Longfellow omits that Revere was aided by a network of other riders.
A deciding factor for why the Wampanoag tribe accepted an alliance with the Pilgrims was because they had just survived a pandemic.
History. The population of the Wampanoag had just been devastated by an unknown illness and it left them vulnerable to their enemies. They saw the Pilgrims who were also struggling and made an alliance of mutual advantage and survival.
Christmas trees are a fire hazard.
Myth. According to the National Fire Protection Association residential fires being started by a Christmas tree are rare. Between 2013-2017 fire departments across the country only responded to 160 fires each year that resulted from Christmas trees.
Although St. Patrick's day is associated with parties in the US, it is a somber day of prayer in Ireland.
History. Traditionally, St. Patrick's day is observed as a serious religious holiday in Ireland, in contrast to the parades and parties that mark the day in the US and other places.
The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia cracked because it was rung so much in celebration of the American's victory over the British.
Myth. Most historians agree that the bell got its crack from being poorly cast and that the crack likely didn't even happen until after the Revolutionary War was over.