Turkey Neck

Imagine describing the United States' Thanksgiving tradition to someone who had just landed on Earth for the first time. It might go something like this:

Yeah, so somehow an embellished story about people wearing buckled shoes and eating got us a day off every year when we travel unusual distances to eat dry poultry and tough root vegetables (remind me to explain butter later) and spend time with relatives we chose not to live with. Then we watch a parade of giant balloons moving in slow motion on television before arguing with said relatives and passing out over one-too-many servings of pie. Oh, and we sometimes say we're thankful for stuff before we wake up and go shopping in the middle of the night. More pie?

Over the course of decades, Snopes has researched the origins of customs and stories surrounding the holiday, as well as the long-told myths, to help you celebrate with facts. Below is a compilation of that work.