Pardon the Thanksgiving turkey - an American tradition

The U.S. president has the power to forgive convicted, pardoned crimes - the crimes, and release them from punishment. But once a year gives the President a different kind of excuse. It goes to a U.S. resident who has not committed any crime, but had to die - a turkey.

Each year before Thanksgiving or two live turkeys are given a house white. (In recent years, there was always two.) In a ceremony in the Rose Garden, thePresident announces that the turkey be killed and eaten. Then they are on a farm or in a park, or anywhere else can send their lives.

This has been an American tradition, though not seriously. It's not about the ethics of eating meat. And 'Thanksgiving is usually done to help people get their heads out of their problems and relax.

The turkeys were selected by a commercial company. They are usually given as a gift to the President of groupsHelp farmers.

Nobody seems to know how this tradition started. Some say it was not the son of Abraham Lincoln took a turkey, then kill him - like his father forgave him. Some say that President Harry S. Truman was the first to say pardon a turkey - but the Truman Library, where his papers are kept, there is no trace of this. Dwight D. Eisenhower was president gave turkeys to live where and for a few years earlier were used for Thanksgiving dinner. But from1957, used the kitchen staff rather than frozen turkeys. (Maybe it's just tired of living in preparing the turkey.) However, it was a live-Turkey has made the White House each November, the President or his stunt double, poses for a photo with him.

President John F. Kennedy was a live-Turkey had announced in November 1963, shortly before being killed. He said: "We continue simple. (Note: A White House source says that this happened in 1961. But the White House website has a photo of the event,done with a caption words in 1963.)

Now that forgiveness, an annual event, the White House calls on Americans to participate in it. Each year, can help people choose the names of two turkeys in an online poll. Some of the names are: liberty, freedom, Biscuits, Gravy, Flyer and Fryer.