U.S. presidents have for decades dutifully trotted out before Thanksgiving to hold an obligatory turkey pardoning ceremony on the White House grounds. The presidential practice of granting clemency to a choice selection of lucky turkeys just before millions of citizens feast is now an established American tradition.

In more recent years, the White House Presentation of the National Thanksgiving Turkey has included the "pardoning" of a turkey and its alternate. This started in 1989 with former President George H. W. Bush in 1989, which marked the 200 th anniversary of former President George Washington 's proclamation for Thanksgiving Day.

On Monday, President Joe Biden pardoned two doomed-to-be-dinner turkeys at the White House in the long-standing traditional National Thanksgiving Turkey event in his last time as commander-in-chief.

Biden welcomed 2,500 guests to the South Lawn under sunny skies as he cracked jokes about the fates of “Peach” and “Blossom” and sounded wistful tones about the last weeks of his presidency after a half-century in Washington power circles.

President Joe Biden tapped into his presidential pardon power in the waning days of his time in office Monday, granting clemency to a pair of lucky turkeys and kicking off the holiday season.

It was a festive day at the White House as President Joe Biden pardoned turkeys for Thanksgiving and First Lady Jill Biden received the White House Christmas Tree.

Biden relished the brief ceremony with the pardoned turkeys, named for the official flower of the president's home state of Delaware.

It was a festive day at the White House as President Joe Biden pardoned turkeys for Thanksgiving and First Lady Jill Biden received the White House Christmas Tree.