Here's what happens to turkeys pardoned on Thanksgiving at the White House
WASHINGTON, DC: On Monday, November 20, Liberty and Bell participated in an annual White House custom of pardoning turkeys ahead of Thanksgiving and the occasion coincided with President Joe Biden's 81st birthday.
As per the tradition, the president pardons the birds and saves them from being served as holiday fare. Following the ceremony, Liberty and Bell will be returned to their home state and taken care of by the University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resources Sciences.
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President Joe Biden roasted Liberty and Bell on the White House's South Lawn
In a brief break from the world challenges his administration is confronting, Joe Biden presided over the yearly White House Thanksgiving custom of the turkey pardon Monday, freeing Liberty, a 42.5 lbs (1925 kg) bird, and Bell, a 42.1 lbs (19 kg) bird.
The president seasoned Liberty and Bell on the White House's South Lawn, but only in a symbolic sense. This annual event offers a plethora of poultry jokes and a chance to express gratitude as the holiday season approaches, as reported by CNN.
"These birds have a new appreciation for the word, ‘Let freedom ring'," said Biden to a group of local schoolchildren, children of his staff, and members of the Cabinet.
He further stated, "That’s a big bird, man. I’m impressed," watching as a turkey fluttered on a table, adding, "I hereby pardon Liberty and Bell. Congratulations, birds."
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Subsequently, the president declared, "By the way, it’s my birthday today," continuing, "I just want you to know, it’s difficult turning 60. Difficult.”
He added that it has been customary for more than 70 years to present a National Thanksgiving Turkey to the White House. Before granting the pardons, Biden noted that Liberty and Bell were named after the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia even though they were born in Minnesota, as per the Associated Press.
In 2022, Biden granted pardons to another two turkeys - Chocolate and Chip.
Liberty and Bell can now spread their wings without fear. They have joined a list of turkeys who have been pardoned by the White House for the Thanksgiving holiday.
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 20, 2023
Here’s a look back at some of the top moments from turkey pardons over the years. pic.twitter.com/vdjRqZRJHV
History of the White House turkey pardon tradition
There have long been rumors about turkey pardons dating back to the time of Abraham Lincoln, who was supposedly the first president to spare a turkey, as per the White House archives, but it happened during Christmas and was not repeated for decades.
As per family history, Lincoln's son begged his father to rescue a pet bird that was meant to be served for Thanksgiving.
Moreover, during the late 1800s and early 1900s, presidents were frequently given turkeys as holiday gifts, and most ended up on the dinner table.
In the 1920s, a Texas turkey that Woodrow Wilson had received in a container designed like the White House engaged in combat with a Kentucky turkey outside the White House, making the delivery rivalry national news.
The White House Historical Association claims that the Kentucky bird, however, triumphed.
John F Kennedy granted the first recorded turkey pardon in 1963, however, it was not immediately successful. In 1973, former First Lady Patricia Nixon also spared the life of a turkey sent to the White House.
George H W Bush brought back the practice of pardoning turkeys in 1989 and it has since become customary during the White House holiday season.
That year, Bush promised an animal rights activist gathering nearby that the turkey he had been sent would not die young, as per NBC Philadephia.
He said, "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 presented a presidential pardon as of right now," and let the turkey live in a children's farm.
What happened to turkeys pardoned by previous US presidents?
After the turkey pardoning ceremony, the birds are placed in new homes on farms around the nation. According to the White House Historical Association, several farms ended up with turkeys that received unofficial pardons from presidents such as Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, and Richard Nixon.
According to White House Archives, Frying Pan Park in Herndon, Virginia, received the turkey that President Bush pardoned, as per The US Sun.
Two turkeys named Abe and Honest that Barack Obama had pardoned were delivered to a farm in Morven Park, Virginia. Recent years have seen a large number of pardoned turkeys wind up in Gobbler's Rest, a facility affiliated with Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Virginia Tech also received turkeys pardoned by Obama in 2016 and those pardoned by Donald Trump in 2017 and 2019.
A few turkeys make their way to Disneyland and Disneyworld. Moreover, Iowa State University and North Carolina State University received the birds from the previous two Thanksgivings.
Even though the turkeys are granted a second chance at life, sometimes the story doesn't end happily. Though George Washington's historic residence, Mount Vernon, received a large number of turkeys until 2013, many of them died soon after being pardoned.