Liberty and Bell are ready to obtain their presidential pardon. The two Thanksgiving turkeys were expected at the White House on Monday to receive the presidential pardon.
The birds settled into a suite after arriving on the red carpet Saturday following a day-long road trip from Minnesota in a black Cadillac Escalade. The male birds, each about 20 weeks old, were hatched in July in Willmar, Minnesota as part of the “presidential flock”.
They spent a lot of time listening to music and other sounds to prepare for Monday’s hype at the White House.
After President Joe Biden officially pardons Liberty and Bell, the two dinces will be returned to their home states to be cared for by the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Sciences. University of Minnesota.
The tradition dates back to 1947, when the National Turkey Federation first presented a national Thanksgiving turkey to President Harry Truman. At the time, the turkey was offered for consumption to the first family.
But in the late 1980s, the tradition evolved into an often humorous ceremony in which birds are pardoned, avoiding becoming the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving table.
The annual turkey pardoning ceremony is the unofficial opening of the holiday season in Washington.