Turkey mercy U.S. Pres. Barack Obama pardoning a turkey on Thanksgiving Day in 2015. (more) Why Do We Pardon Turkeys on Thanksgiving? Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Why-Do-We-Pardon-Turkeys-on-Thanksgiving Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Written by Aman Kumar Aman Kumar is an editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. Aman Kumar Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Nov. 20, 2025 •History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot Thanksgiving is not a good time to be a turkey in the United States. But at least one of these otherwise hapless birds has reason to be thankful on this day, when it is saved from becoming the centerpiece of the feast by none other than the president of the United States. Though absent from the earliest Thanksgiving feasts, turkeys became a more common hero of the holiday’s dishes by the turn of the 19th...

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