Here's the history of the presidential turkey pardoning tradition.

It seems as though the Presidential Turkey Pardon ceremony has existed since the Pilgrims because it has become such a well-known tradition. But, the event didn't become official until 1989.

It's one of the more entertaining tasks presidents have performed for decades and may be the most unusual custom. But how did the custom of pardoning Turkey begin? And the first turkey was pardoned by which president?

As far back as the 1870s, birds have been sent to the White House as gifts during the holidays, according to historical records. They have been offered symbols of patriotism and good cheer, according to the White House.

Who was the first president to grant a turkey a pardon?

President Abraham Lincoln may have spared the first turkey from becoming a Christmas dinner in 1863, according to a dispatch in 1865 by White House reporter Noah Brooks. As the story goes, Lincoln's son Tad lobbied to save a turkey the Lincolns planned to serve for dinner. The account, however, may be akin to George Washington and the cherry tree, according to the White House Historical Association.

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No pardon for you: President Harry Truman didn't pardon his turkey

President Harry S. Truman has been frequently credited as being the first to pardon turkeys, but the events appear as if they were just staged photos with gifted turkeys from the National Turkey Federation in 1947, but records indicate he didn't pardon the turkeys; instead, they were destined for the dinner table.

The Truman Library even once released a statement saying that "staff has found no documents, speeches, newspaper clippings, photographs or other contemporary records in our holdings which refer to Truman pardoning a turkey that he received as a gift, or at any other time during his presidency," according to History.com.

They did however, begin the official turkey presentation from the poultry industry.

President Kennedy pardons a turkey

John F. Kennedy was the first president to unofficially pardon a turkey, according to the White House Historical Association. Kennedy had declared, "Let's keep him going," in referring to the turkey, in a 1963 Washington Post article. "Pardon" and "reprieve" had been used.

It wasn't until Ronald Reagan's administration that delivering gifted turkeys back to a farm became common practice. A couple of first ladies also sent their gifted birds to regional farms, according to the White House:

Patricia Nixon accepted the turkeys on Richard Nixon's behalf during the last years of his administration. She presented the bird to Oxon Hill (Maryland) Children's Farm in 1973.

Rosalynn Carter and President Jimmy Carter made a similar trip in 1978 to pardon a turkey in a small zoo at Evans Farm Inn in Virginia.

The first Thanksgiving turkey granted an official presidential pardon

It wasn't until George H.W. Bush's administration that pardoning turkeys became a formal tradition.

In a Thanksgiving proclamation, President Bush had stated on Nov. 17, 1989, "Our special guest seems ... understandably nervous, but 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 ..." according to The National Turkey Federation.

Since then, every president has continued on the tradition of "pardoning" Thanksgiving turkeys.

Which president has pardoned the most turkeys?

Throughout his presidency from 2009 to 2016, President Barack Obama pardoned two turkeys every year, always including the primary turkey and its understudy. Setting the record by pardoning 16 turkeys, in his two terms in office, according to the White House Archives.

Since 1989, more than 30 turkeys that have been officially pardoned by presidents in the White House. The National Turkey Federation estimates that during the Thanksgiving holiday, Americans consume around 46 million turkeys, or 1.4 billion pounds of turkey.

The presidential pardoned turkeys usually spend their remaining years at historically significant farms, colleges and universities, or agricultural centers as ambassadors for agriculture.

Parts of this story previously published on Nov. 22, 2024

CONTRIBUTING Jim Sergent and Olivia Munson

SOURCE The White House Historical Association, National Turkey Federation, History.com, Smithsonian Magazine and USA TODAY research

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Beg your pardon? Why do Presidents pardon turkeys? We explain

Reporting by Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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