On Thanksgiving, about 46 million turkeys are consumed.
But today, “Peas” and “Carrots” visited the White House briefing room—and one will be pardoned.
This is the American tradition of the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation, which first took place in 1947. But the tradition can be traced back even further, with turkeys sent to American President as gifts in the 1870s, according to “2018 Turkey Pardoning” web-page by the White House.
In July, the “Presidential Flock” of turkeys was hatched. These turkeys are prepared for their potential day to be pardoned as well as the camera lights and big crowds that come with it.
Out of the 50 turkeys in the flock, only Peas and Carrots made it to Washington DC. Although only one of them will be named the National Thanksgiving Turkey, both will be spared.
After the ceremony, the turkeys will not travel back to South Dakota, where they were raised, but will live out the rest of their natural life at Virginia Tech’s “Gobblers Rest” exhibit.
