President Nixon invented the pardon–at least for Thanksgiving turkeys. In the midst of controversy about pardoning people involved in the Iran-Contra scandal, he joked about granting a pardon for that year’s turkey that was slated to be sent to the petting zoo instead of the dinner table. And the term “pardon” stuck.
The whole tradition has an interesting history. Read about it at “Why Presidents Pardon Turkeys–a History.” As you gobble up the historical facts, remember this: they don’t have any calories, as opposed to the 4000 or so you may have consumed yesterday.
