Thanksgiving Week in the US: Why Turkey, What the Festival Means, And The Story Behind The Presidential Pardon

Thanksgiving Week in the United States marks one of the most defining cultural moments of the year, bringing together history, politics, tradition and a national mood of reflection. While much of the world recognizes it as the holiday when Americans gather to eat turkey, the week carries far deeper meaning for the country. It is also the period when a uniquely American spectacle unfolds at the White House: the annual presidential turkey pardon, a ceremony that once again drew global attention this year as President Donald Trump pardoned two turkeys in keeping with long-standing custom.

Thanksgiving, observed on the fourth Thursday of November, has origins dating back to the early 1600s, when settlers in what is now Massachusetts held a feast to celebrate a successful harvest after years of hardship and uncertainty. Although the historical narrative has been retold and simplified over time, the spirit of gratitude that shaped the early celebration has remained central. It became a national holiday during the Civil War, when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a day dedicated to giving thanks and fostering unity in a fractured nation. Since then, the holiday has taken on a social, cultural and even economic significance, becoming one of the most travelled and celebrated periods in the American calendar.

As Thanksgiving Week begins, travel surges to some of the highest levels seen annually in the US. Airports hit peak traffic, highways clog as families cross states to reunite, and cities gear up for parades, charity drives and local festivities. At the heart of the celebration is the Thanksgiving meal, and for generations, turkey has been the centre of this feast. The bird became the symbol of the holiday largely due to practical reasons in early America. Turkeys were plentiful, easy to raise and large enough to feed entire families, making them a natural choice for communal gatherings. The association strengthened over the centuries, turning the roast turkey into an essential part of the Thanksgiving image.

But it is the presidential turkey pardon that adds a particularly memorable and humorous dimension to the week. Each year, the President of the United States participates in a ceremony that is both symbolic and steeped in tradition, though its formal version is relatively recent. The event involves the President sparing one or two turkeys from becoming Thanksgiving dinner, sending them instead to a farm or sanctuary where they live out the rest of their lives. The ritual has no legal weight and does not function as an actual pardon in the judicial sense, but it has become a staple of holiday coverage and an anticipated White House moment.

The roots of the ceremony go back to the 19th century, when turkeys began to be presented to presidents as part of Thanksgiving celebrations. Stories circulated about presidents occasionally sparing the birds, but the modern, televised tradition took shape in 1989 under President George H. W. Bush, who explicitly declared that the turkey before him would be spared. Since then, each administration has embraced the light-hearted moment, often adding jokes and personal touches.

This year, President Donald Trump pardoned two turkeys named Waddle and Gobble, continuing the tradition with the characteristic humour that the ceremony usually invites. Confusion arose after Waddle, initially seen in the briefing room, did not appear in the Rose Garden ceremony. Trump made light of the situation, noting that Waddle was "missing in action" and joking that they would pretend he was present. The President also quipped that he had considered naming the turkeys after prominent Democrats Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, adding a political flavour to an otherwise symbolic gesture, while clarifying the joke in the context of the light-hearted tradition.

The presidential turkey pardon highlights a softer side of political leadership, offering Americans a moment of levity in a week filled with familial warmth, public events and national reflection. As Thanksgiving Week continues across the country-with gatherings, travel rushes, sporting events and celebrations-the ceremony stands as a reminder that even the highest office in the United States participates in the rituals that define American culture.