WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden will kick off Thanksgiving week at the White House on Monday by participating in a holiday rite of passage: He’ll pardon a pair of turkeys.
Biden will grant a presidential reprieve to the lucky gobblers during a ceremony on the White House South Lawn. The event will mark the 75th anniversary of the annual tradition, which ensures the birds won’t up as the main course on someone’s dinner table.
The 2022 national Thanksgiving turkey and its alternate were raised on a ranch near Monroe, N.C. The birds’ names – a state secret – won’t be made public until the ceremony.
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Biden pardoned two turkeys, Peanut Butter and Jelly, during an annual Thanksgiving holiday tradition at the White House in 2021. He’ll pardon two more gobblers on Monday.
Later Monday afternoon, Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Cherry Point, N.C., where they will participate in a Friendsgiving dinner with service members and military families.
Michael Collins covers the White House. Follow him on Twitter @mcollinsNEWS.
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Story Credit: usatoday.com