Thanksgiving isn’t just about family squabbles and mashed potatoes—it’s also about turkeys getting a celebrity-worthy sendoff courtesy of the President. One of the quirkiest traditions of all time, the Turkey Pardon, lets the President “spare” one lucky bird from becoming dinner, granting it the freedom to live its life far from the roasting pan.
Where did this whole thing begin? Well, the story goes all the way back to Abe Lincoln. In 1863, Lincoln’s son, Tad, had a heart-to-heart with Dad over a turkey meant for Christmas dinner. Tad pleaded for the bird’s life, and Abe agreed to let it live. Though this was technically around Christmas and not Thanksgiving, Lincoln did declare Thanksgiving a national holiday that same year. So, maybe he’s the O.G. turkey liberator.
Fast forward to the 1920s, when folks started sending turkeys to the White House as a way of saying, “Enjoy your meal, Mr. President!” One ambitious Chamber of Commerce from Texas even sent a 38-pound turkey in a tiny White House-shaped coop. Fast-forward another few decades, and in 1963, JFK decided to “let this one grow” instead of, you know, eating it. He didn’t call it a pardon, but it was close.
Then came Ronald Reagan in 1981, who started making a habit of sending the turkeys off to farms instead of the dinner table. But it was George H.W. Bush who made things official in 1989, announcing that the turkey he received would get a “presidential pardon.” Now, every year, one lucky turkey—and sometimes a backup buddy—gets to avoid becoming a meal.
These days, the National Turkey Federation even raises a special flock just for this. These birds are primed for the spotlight, getting used to crowds, cameras, and the odd environment of standing on a White House table. They even get a stay at a luxury hotel in Washington, D.C., the night before their big day.
Afterward, they live out their lives at spots like Virginia Tech’s “Gobblers Rest” or Morven Park in Virginia, where they’re cared for by students and vets because nothing says American holiday spirit quite like a turkey getting the five-star treatment.
