Who was the first president to pardon a turkey? Here's how the bird escaped a 'fowl' fate
Every year, the president "pardons" one or two turkeys before the Thanksgiving holiday. This may be one of the more eccentric jobs the president takes on during their tenure, but the yearly "pardoning" has become a tradition of its own.
But how did the tradition start and who was the first president to pardon a turkey?
The national Thanksgiving turkey presentation has been observed since 1947, according to the National Turkey Federation. So, before you dig into your bird this holiday season, here's a primer on its annual pardoning.
What is the turkey pardoning?
It is believed Abraham Lincoln was the first president to pardon a turkey in 1863. Lincoln's son Tad allegedly became attached to the turkey that was fated to be served at the family's Christmas meal, according to the History Channel. Lincoln was said to have spared the bird from becoming dinner, based on an 1865 dispatch by White House reporter Noah Brooks. This account, however, may be overstated, the White House Historical Association reports.
Starting in 1947, the National Turkey Federation began giving the president a turkey ahead of Thanksgiving. "The White House Presentation signals the beginning of the holiday season of national thanks, historically representing agriculture’s bountiful harvest," the federation's website states. Each year, the president receives the National Thanksgiving Turkey and an alternate.
The first president to receive a live turkey was Harry S. Truman from the National Turkey Federation. As a result, he is often credited as the first to pardon a turkey. But the 33rd president does not hold that title. Many confuse this Truman's presidency did mark the start of the official turkey presentation.
The turkeys Truman received actually met the fate of becoming a holiday feast. In 1948, Truman said to reporters that the birds would "come in handy" for Christmas dinner, according to the History Channel.
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Who was the first president to pardon a turkey?
The first president to pardon a turkey was John F. Kennedy, the White House Historical Association reports. The words "pardon" and "reprieve" were used by the Washington Post in a 1963 article, while Kennedy said of the turkey, "Let's keep him going."
Ronald Reagan was the first to formally use the term "pardon" in regard to a turkey, the History Channel reports. In 1987, Reagan was asked by reporters if he'd pardon his aides who had been accused in the Iran-Contra scandal. He ignored those questions, but joked, "I'll pardon him," of the 55-pound Thanksgiving bird.
It wasn't until the George H.W. Bushpresidency that pardoning turkeys became commonplace for the president. According to the History Channel, on Nov. 17, 1989, Bush said of the turkey:
"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."
- President George H.W. Bush
From then on, two lucky birds get to live out the remainder away their days without worrying about ending up on the Thanksgiving dinner table.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Turkey pardoning: Here's how the Thanksgiving tradition came to be