Every year, before the President of the United States can sit down and fully enjoy a Thanksgiving meal with his family, he must first go through the odd tradition of "pardoning" the turkey that won't be eaten.
While the reason why the tradition started is still a bit of a mystery, the White House traces it all the way back to President Lincoln in 1863.
As the story goes, Lincoln's son, Tad, may or may not have persuaded his father not to eat the turkey they purchased for Christmas dinner. They instead adopted it as a pet, naming the turkey Jack.
However, it would be more than 100 years until a President — John F. Kennedy —formally "pardoned" a turkey on the White House grounds.
In 2013, CNN investigated what happened to the turkeys after they were pardoned. Sadly, they found that the birds rarely lived longer than for a few months after they were saved from being eaten.
SEE ALSO: The creepiest White House Thanksgiving ever
In 1963, President John F. Kennedy received his Thanksgiving turkey from the Poultry and Egg National Board. He officially pardoned the bird by saying, "Let's keep him going."
In 1967, the pardoning ceremony took place inside. Senator Everett Dirksen and representatives from the poultry industry and farm organizations presented a turkey to President Lyndon B. Johnson.
An incredibly creepy legend about President Richard Nixon's bird was recently confirmed by the Washington Post. As the story goes, the turkey was especially rambunctious, and its feet had to be nailed down to the table.
Source: Washington Post
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