Each Thanksgiving, the President of the United States performs one of the season’s most unusual traditions—the presidential turkey pardon. This lighthearted ceremony, in which a turkey is spared from becoming a holiday dinner, has become a hallmark of American culture and an iconic moment in the holiday celebration.
The tradition’s dates back to the late 1800s. Abraham Lincoln is often credited as the first president to spare a turkey after his son, Tad, supposedly grew fond of the bird and pleaded for his dad to spare it from being cooked for Christmas dinner. Although Lincoln’s gesture wasn’t an official pardoning, it laid the foundation for a symbolic act that would, decades later, become a cherished White House tradition.
The practice of sparing the turkey formally began during George H. W. Bush’s presidency in 1989. Since then, every president has continued this tradition, turning it into a nationally recognized symbol of an American Thanksgiving.
Leslee Oden, CEO of the National Turkey Federation, has helped organize the ceremony for over 15 years. She described the turkeys as “little rock stars” during their visit to Washington, noting that social media has played a major role in increasing the visibility and popularity of the turkeys.
“The Thanksgiving turkeys have felt that sense of stardom,” Oden said. “It’s a great way for us in the U.S. Turkey industry to talk about our U.S. growers and our processes and what they do on an everyday basis.”
Preparing the turkeys for the presidential pardon takes months of work. The turkeys are trained to remain calm during the ceremony, which involves a lot of loud noises, camera flashes and crowds.
“This is a six and a half plus month adventure for us,” Oden said. “We’ve been working on this year’s selection of turkeys since February of this past year. It takes a lot of time to grow and work with those turkeys on an everyday basis.”
Aside from the ceremony’s entertainment aspect, it also reflects Thanksgiving values: gratitude, thankfulness and appreciation.
“The turkey pardoning humanizes the president,” U.S. history teacher Emer Johnson said. “It makes it a fun aspect of seeing the president with his own family as opposed to those formal events that the president is usually at.”
Over the years, the ceremony has created memorable behind-the-scenes moments. During President Biden’s term, Oden recalled a striking experience when Marine One landed with as turkeys watched. The birds were kept in large kennels when the President arrived, creating a unique and unforgettable experience.
“It was pretty unique to see the turkeys react to the landing of the Marine One,” Oden said.
The American tradition has also caught the attention of many American youth.
“It’s refreshing to see something lighthearted in politics,” sophomore Harriet Gould said. “It makes it fun to watch the turkey pardoning with my family.”
After the ceremony, the turkeys are sent to farms or educational centers where they live out the remainder of their lives. These places allow the public to learn more about the turkeys, while also giving turkeys a peaceful environment.
The presidential turkey pardon serves not only as a symbol of a Thanksgiving, but also as a reminder to stay grateful during the holiday season.
“Each year, I pinch myself when we go into the ceremony because I want to make sure it’s not a dream,” Oden said. “From year one until now, it’s such a special tradition to be a part of.”
