About Urban Legends

Thanksgiving, De-Mythologized

2009-11-24T04:57:00Z

They dressed in earth-tones, not black and white. They didn't wear buckles on their shoes. The "first Thanksgiving" in 1621 — actually a three-day harvest festival held sometime between September 21 and November 11 — was the only one they ever celebrated. Wild turkey, venison, and stewed pumpkin were probably on the menu, but there was no ham, no mashed potatoes, no corn on the cob, or cranberry sauce to be had. And they never, ever called themselves "Pilgrims." Read more...

Thanksgiving, De-Mythologized originally appeared on About.com Urban Legends on Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 at 04:57:00.

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The Pregnant Turkey

2009-11-21T07:26:04Z

To tell you the truth, I don't know how any mortal being would find the time to play a prank like this while cooking a Thanksgiving meal, but here, along with a couple of amusing variants, is a seasonal practical joke requiring only a turkey, a Cornish game hen, and a gullible loved one to pull it off. Read more...

The Pregnant Turkey originally appeared on About.com Urban Legends on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 07:26:04.

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Play the Urban Legends Name Game!

2009-11-16T00:15:33Z

Choose the most correct answer for each question. Bear in mind, all the questions pertain to urban legends, so a correct answer isn't necessarily a true one. Good luck!

Question #1: Decades after my death, my private parts are still on display in a jar of formaldehyde at the Smithsonian. Who am I?

• Adolf Hitler

• John Dillinger

• Clark Gable

• Albert Einstein

• Milton Berle

Play the Urban Legends Name Game! originally appeared on About.com Urban Legends on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 00:15:33.

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Why Friday the 13th Is Unlucky

2009-11-13T10:21:55Z

The sixth day of the week and the number 13 have foreboding reputations said to date from ancient times, and their inevitable conjunction from one to three times a year portends more misfortune than some credulous minds can bear. Here's why...

Why Friday the 13th Is Unlucky originally appeared on About.com Urban Legends on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 10:21:55.

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Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

2009-11-11T15:22:32Z

Among the colorful myths surrounding the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington Cemetery and its 24-hour-a-day Honor Guard are the claims that the guards' permanent residence is a barracks under the tomb itself and that they're forbidden to drink alcohol, on or off duty, for the rest of their lives.

Colorful, but untrue.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier originally appeared on About.com Urban Legends on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 15:22:32.

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NOT A HOAX: Noah Biorkman Christmas Card Request

2009-11-06T21:20:13Z

Michigan news sources say an emailed request for Christmas cards on behalf of 5-year-old Noah Biorkman, who is dying of neuroblastoma cancer, is genuine. Noah was diagnosed with the disease in 2007 and is not expected to live till Christmas.

Important update: As of November 13, 2009 Noah Biorkman's parents say they have been overwhelmed with cards and gifts from well-wishers around the world, and they are now asking that people STOP sending them so they can devote their full attention to their sick child.

Important update: Noah Biorkman passed away on Monday, November 23, 2009

More details...

NOT A HOAX: Noah Biorkman Christmas Card Request originally appeared on About.com Urban Legends on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 21:20:13.

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'Obama Phones' - A Sign of the Apocalypse

2009-11-03T16:02:48Z

Is it true that the Obama administration has launched a government program granting a free cell phone and wireless service to every welfare recipient in the U.S.?

No, though that is the central claim of a new forwarded email currently fanning the flames of anti-government sentiment in this country.

"Enough is enough," says the anonymous tirade, "the ship is sinking and it's sinking fast. The very foundations that this country was built on are being shaken. The age-old concepts of God, family, and hard work have flown out the window and are being replaced with 'Hope and Change' and 'Change we can believe in.'"

Which is a curious reaction, considering that the program — which does, in fact, exist — was created over a decade ago by an act of Congress.

Read the details...

'Obama Phones' - A Sign of the Apocalypse originally appeared on About.com Urban Legends on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 16:02:48.

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The History of Halloween

2009-10-30T00:30:22Z

What is the origin of the Jack-o'-Lantern? Why do children go trick-or-treating on Halloween? Who came up with "bobbing for apples"? While the modern celebration of Halloween still bears traces of its Celtic origins, it has come down to us as a cross-cultural stew of folk traditions, all pertaining in some way to death and the supernatural. Here you'll find answers to your questions about the history and lore of this one-of-a-kind holiday.

The History of Halloween originally appeared on About.com Urban Legends on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 00:30:22.

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The Urban Legends Slide Show

2009-10-24T12:30:07Z

A gallery of odd and arresting viral images -- some real, some fake, some persistently enigmatic -- as circulated on the Internets! Start here...

The Urban Legends Slide Show originally appeared on About.com Urban Legends on Saturday, October 24th, 2009 at 12:30:07.

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'Gang Initiation Week' Is an Urban Legend

2009-10-21T15:22:57Z

As if you didn't have enough to be afraid of already, folks are texting, Twittering, and emailing about a so-called "gang initiation week" beginning today, October 21, during which 140 women will supposedly be targeted for cold-blooded murder by prospective gang members.

Police in Chicago, Illinois and Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, where the rumor-mongering verges on out-of-control, have rightly branded the warnings "hoaxes" and "urban myths." Similar messages circulated around this time last year (and other years previously, going back more than a decade), but no such bloodbath occurred.