One of the first things many imagine when thinking of Thanksgiving is a classic turkey dinner. Over the years, it has become a holiday tradition to gather with friends and family on the fourth Thursday of November to enjoy a delicious meal and express thanks and gratitude. Traditionally, these meals feature a stuffed turkey as the iconic centerpiece. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that roughly 46 million turkeys are eaten annually on Thanksgiving alone. However, not every turkey will end up on the dinner table this Thanksgiving!

Each year, the President of the United States ceremonially “pardons” two turkeys in what is known as the Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon. These turkeys are chosen to live out the rest of their lives free from slaughter. The selection process begins with a flock of fifty to eighty turkeys bred specifically for the event. From this flock, the two healthiest and best-behaved turkeys are selected for the ceremony and given a name by the White House staff from public submissions.

Last Thanksgiving, the pardoned turkeys of 2023 were named “Liberty” and “Bell.” Other fun names chosen throughout the years include Apple and Cider (2010), Tater and Tot (2016), and Mac and Cheese (2014). The names of this year’s turkeys will be revealed by Joe Biden shortly before Thanksgiving on the 28 of November. 

After their selection, the turkeys are transported to a luxury hotel in Washington until their official pardon at the White House. On the ceremony day, the President of the United States introduces the turkeys with a lighthearted and humorous speech. Afterward, he finally “pardons” the turkeys from being turned into a Thanksgiving meal, and authorizes them to live out the rest of their lives on a farm.

Despite the unusual practice, the Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon has been going on for longer than one may expect. 

Turkeys have been gifted to presidents throughout history, and some consider the Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon to date all the way back to Abraham Lincoln’s presidency in 1863, when Lincoln kept a turkey that was gifted to him as a pet, rather than slaughtering it. However, the official first example of the tradition was in 1963 when President John F. Kennedy publicly pardoned a Thanksgiving turkey rather than putting it to slaughter. 

That said, George H.W. Bush was the one to formally establish the Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon as an ongoing tradition during his presidency in 1989. During the ceremony, Bush announced, “But let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone’s dinner table, not this guy—he’s granted a presidential pardon as of right now—and allow him to live out his days on a children’s farm not far from here.” 

The Thanksgiving tradition of the Turkey Pardon is a unique and comical American tradition that has been a part of our country’s history for decades. This Thanksgiving, don’t forget to check out this special yet strange piece of U.S. history!