The White House turkey pardoning ceremony, a long-held Thanksgiving tradition formalized 77 years ago, traces its origins back decades further.Since the 1800s, it has been customary for the sitting president to be gifted a turkey as a festive gesture,

U.S. presidents have for decades dutifully trotted out before Thanksgiving to hold an obligatory turkey pardoning ceremony on the White House grounds. The presidential practice of granting clemency to a choice selection of lucky turkeys just before millions of citizens feast is now an established American tradition.