President Biden Pardons Turkeys For Thanksgiving
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| Credit: The White House |
U.S. President Joe Biden pardoned two turkeys named "Peach" and "Blossom" at The White House on Monday from the Thanksgiving dinner table.
"The two turkeys are named after Delaware state flower, the peach blossom," said Biden. "And by the way, Delaware has a long history of growing peaches. In fact, the peach pie in our state is one of my favorite. It’s a state dessert. And peach blossom flower is — also symbolizes the resilience, which is, quite frankly, fitting for today."
Turkeys have been sent as gifts to American Presidents from as early as the 1870’s, sometimes arriving in elaborate crates and costumes.
By the 1920’s, the influx of these turkeys had increased so greatly that President Calvin Coolidge discouraged Americans from sending them, reported a 1923 New York Times article.
Eventually, however, the tradition resumed, and President Coolidge received not only turkeys, but quail, ducks, geese, rabbits, and a deer.
The most unusual gift was a raccoon, which was not served for dinner but became a Coolidge family pet.
In the 1940’s, farmers and manufacturers began to send birds to the White House as a means of promoting the poultry industry.
President George H. W. Bush was the first to formally grant the bird a Presidential pardon, taking a cue from animal rights activists.
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