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Since 1947, the National Turkey
Federation has given the President a live turkey at Thanksgiving.
Each President, beginning with Harry Truman, has granted the turkey a
"presidential pardon." The turkeys retire to a farm to live out their natural
lives. (The President is also given a dressed turkey for his dinner table.) In 1863,
President Lincoln, at the urging of his young son Tad, "pardoned" the White
House Christmas turkey (Tad had made a pet of "Jack"). Bill Clinton recalled
this incident at the time of his 1997 Thanksgiving presidential pardon for Willis, a
60-pound turkey. |
