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Washington. — It is an odd tradition, to be sure. Every year, on the eve of Thanksgiving, the president of the United States “pardons” a turkey at the White House.
For the sixth time, Barack Obama did the job on Wednesday, sparing a bird at a ceremony at which he was joined by his (somewhat underwhelmed) daughters Sasha and Malia, 13 and 16.
The myth behind the tradition is that, after overexposure to the media in Washington once pardoned, the rotund turkey will spend the rest of its happy days lolling around, far from anyone’s plate.
But the reality is far less poetic.
Commercially raised turkeys have been bred to be large to feed a crowd – the massive store-bought birds can barely walk, much less fly.
They can be five times larger than the wild ones still in American forests.
Commercial turkeys also have short lifespans.
Of the two turkeys pardoned last year, only one is still on the farm.
“Caramel and his cohort Popcorn arrived at Morven Park in January after spending the holidays at George Washington’s Mt Vernon. Unfortunately, Popcorn died of natural causes in July”, the Virginia farm where they were living said.
The White House says this year will mark the 67th anniversary of the ceremonial presentation of the turkey.
The national turkey breeders association got it going after World War II. But back then, there was no pardon, just dinner. — AFP
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