A few days before the American Thanksgiving holiday, US President Joe Biden pardoned two turkeys in a traditional ceremony. Thus, the two birds were spared the fate of many conspecifics on this holiday. The turkeys that Biden saved from death on Monday's South Lawn of the White House are called "Liberty" and "Bell." The Liberty Bell (german: Liberty Bell) in Philadelphia is a symbol of American independence.
The day of the turkey pardon this year coincided with the president's 81st birthday. Considering his age, the good-humoured Biden joked at the ceremony that this was the 76th time turkeys had been pardoned by the president. "I want you to know that I wasn't there the first time."
On Thanksgiving, turkey is traditionally served in American families. The president's pardon of turkeys has a long tradition. Since the 19th century, the presidential family has received a particularly magnificent turkey before the holiday. According to the White House, President Abraham Lincoln (1861 to 1865) pardoned one of the animals for the first time at the request of his son. Under President George Bush Sr., the turkey pardon became a fixed ritual in 1989.
Thanksgiving is celebrated in the United States next Thursday.