Ever Wondered Why We Pardon a Turkey Every Thanksgiving?
Turkey is the star of Thanksgiving dinner. Of course, you've got your side dishes — all the mashed potatoes, stuffing, and buttered rolls you can fit on your plate — but the bird is the main attraction. That's true when it comes to Thanksgiving activities, too. After all, who hasn't made a hand-print turkey or watched Tom Turkey float down the street in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
But perhaps the most famous turkeys on Thanksgiving are the ones involved in the Presidential turkey pardon at the White House. If you've ever wondered about the event, we've got everything you need to know about the history of the presidential turkey pardon and how it takes place nowadays. Here's how the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation began and why some people think we should put an end to the fowl farce.
What is the presidential turkey pardon?
In recent years, the presidential turkey pardon has included two birds. The lives of both turkeys are spared and one is named the National Thanksgiving Turkey. For example, in 2019, President Donald Trump pardoned turkeys Bread and Butter, and named Butter the National Thanksgiving Turkey. The year before that, the turkeys were named Peas and Carrots, and before that, Wishbone and Drumstick. The turkey pardon is co-hosted by the National Turkey Federation (aka, the turkey lobby), and has taken place every year since 1989, when President George H. W. Bush made it a permanent part of the White House Thanksgiving ceremony. However, there had been presidential turkey pardons before Bush's presidency, and he did not start the tradition.
Who was the first president to pardon a turkey?
According to official White House history, the first turkey reprieve was granted in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln after “a live turkey had been brought home for the Christmas dinner, but [Lincoln’s son Tad] interceded in behalf of its life ... [Tad’s] plea was admitted and the turkey’s life spared.” So in some ways, Lincoln was the first president to pardon a turkey — although it was a Christmas turkey, not a Thanksgiving one.
Sending holiday turkeys to the White House turned into a tradition and in later years became associated with Thanksgiving — though most presidents ate their gifts (after getting a good photo op, of course). It wasn't until 1963, when President Kennedy remarked, "We'll just let this one grow," that sparing the ceremonial sacrificial turkey became the norm. President Ronald Reagan was the first to call the event a "pardon."
What happens to the turkey after it is pardoned?
The turkeys have been sent to live out the remainder of their lives in various greener pastures — including petting zoos, Virginia Tech (where they are cared for by students of the Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences), Disney World, and Disney Land. But it's not all greener pastures once they make it past their fateful Thanksgiving. Which leads us to our next point...
Why do some people think turkey pardons should end?
It may sound like a harmless tradition in which the birds go on to lead long, cushy lives — but that's not truly the case. Though they are groomed for the spotlight, pardoned turkeys — like the turkeys that will be the center of attention at most Thanksgiving dinners — have been bred for consumption, according to CNN. They are fed in a way meant specifically to increase their size, but their organs and bones are not designed to support that kind of weight. Their life expectancy is just 18 months. Beyond just doing away with the ceremony, animal activists argue that we should just stop eating turkey altogether. Even if you'd never go vegan, you have to admit that from this standpoint, the fake pardon is a grim and ironic way to mark a holiday that celebrates the true blessings you've received throughout the year.
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