The Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon has been an annual tradition in the U.S. for over 35 years and has been recently celebrated again on November 25th. The tradition itself came from the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation dating back to the 1940s, when the National Turkey Federation provided the president with a live turkey to celebrate the Thanksgiving feast. The president credited with pardoning the first turkey was John F. Kennedy when he decided to “let this one grow” instead of having him cooked. The custom was made official during George H.W. Bush’s administration, and has continued since then. This year, two turkeys, affectionately named “Gobble” and “Waddle”, each weighing 50 and 52 pounds, were pardoned by President Trump in the Rose Garden.
