White House National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation

The White House hosts the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation, an annual ceremony in which a live turkey is presented to the President. In modern practice the ceremonial 'pardon' of the turkey is commonly traced to President George H. W. Bush in 1989, though accounts differ on earlier instances of sparing presented birds. The event has been held on the White House grounds and is a recurring public, media-focused presidential tradition.