President Joe Biden on Monday marked what he called “the official start of the holiday season” in Washington for the last time in his decades-long political career, carrying out the storied White House turkey pardon tradition days before families across the nation gather to celebrate Thanksgiving. 

What You Need To Know

  • President Joe Biden on Monday marked what he called “the official start of the holiday season” in Washington for the last time in his decades-long political career, carrying out the storied White House turkey pardon tradition days before families across the nation gather to celebrate Thanksgiving
  • This year’s lucky birds from Minnesota – named “Peach” and “Blossom” – came in at 41 and 40 pounds respectively
  • Biden on Monday also used the event to reflect on the fact that it was his last time leading the tradition as he prepares to hand over the White House to President-elect Donald Trump, who defeated Biden’s vice president, Kamala Harris, for the presidency earlier this month

Roughly 2,500 people filled the White House South Lawn on Monday morning, according to Biden, to watch the president officially save two Minnesota turkeys from the Thanksgiving table. This year’s lucky birds – named Peach and Blossom – came in at 41 and 40 pounds, respectively. 

The tradition – which has roots dating back to the Civil War but is believed to have begun in earnest in 1947 and cemented during George H.W. Bush’s presidency – is typically filled with a lighthearted spirit and a fair share of jokes. This year was no exception. 

“He lives by the motto ‘keep calm and gobble on,’” Biden declared of Peach. Blossom’s guiding phrase, meanwhile, is, “No fowl play, just Minnesota nice,” the president said. 

Biden said this year’s birds, which were born in July in Northfield, Minnesota, are named after the official flower of Delaware – the president’s home state. 

“In fact, the peach pie in our state is one of my favorites. It’s the state dessert,” Biden said. “Peach blossom flowers also symbolize resilience, which is, quite frankly, fitting for today.” 

Peach and Blossom completed a two-day road trip from Minnesota to the nation’s capital to take part in Monday’s event, the president noted. In keeping with tradition, they received a luxurious stay at the historic Willard Intercontinental Hotel, just down the road from the White House, before getting their official pardon. 

The birds are set to return to Minnesota to live out their lives at Farmamerica, an agricultural interpretive center in Waseca, as “agricultural ambassadors" that will “inspire the next generation of agriculture students,” Biden said. 

The president ended Monday’s event on what he called “a more serious note," acknowledging that it was his "last time to speak here as your president during this season and give thanks and gratitude."

“So let me say to you, it’s been the honor of my life. I’m forever grateful,” Biden said, before recognizing service members and those who will have an empty seat at the Thanksgiving table.