Turkey Pardon 2020

Did you know that one of the Thanksgiving traditions in the United States is for the president and other elected officials to pardon at least one turkey and save it from ending up on a dinner table? This has been the tradition since at least the early 1900's, although legend has it that the act of giving turkeys as a gift to the president began during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. In any case every year since around 1913 presidents have pardoned turkeys at thanksgiving. Pardoned turkeys nowadays go to Gobbler’s Rest, an enclosure at Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in Blacksburg. There they live a live of comfort and ease until they pass away from natural causes. The turkeys bred for dinner tables only have a normal life span of about 1-2 years because they have been bred to grow large quickly, which reduces their life span. The night before they are pardoned the turkeys get to stay in a luxury hotel in Washington DC, what lucky turkeys!

Whether you have turkey or any other food this thanksgiving have a safe and enjoyable holiday

What Happens To The Pardoned Turkeys?

Pardoning the Thanksgiving Turkey