The nation’s luckiest turkey – and its understudy – have arrived in Washington, D.C., to participate in President Trump’s first Thanksgiving turkey pardoning, which will take place at the White House Tuesday.
The two turkeys are currently called Bow and Tie, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the names given to them from owners Carl and Sharlene Wittenburg of Alexandria, Minnesota.
Following tradition, the birds are being housed at the Willard Hotel in Washington, the luxury Beaux-Arts beauty located just a block down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House.
The White House featured the two turkeys to be pardoned in its Instagram Sunday, showing the two birds, called Bow and Tie, settling into their suite at the Willard Hotel
The Willard Hotel houses the two turkeys to be pardoned nearly every year. It’s a beautiful Beaux-Arts building located just a block down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House
Turkeys Bow and Tie get comfortable in their suite at the Willard Hotel Sunday night, upon arriving in Washington for Tuesday’s turkey pardoning
For years, President Obama made the turkey pardoning a family affair, enlisting the help of daughters (from left to right) Sasha and Malia
In 2016, President Obama swapped out daughters Sasha and Malia for nephews Aaron and Austin Robinson for his final turkey pardoning ceremony
President George W. Bush meets Flyer the turkey at the November 2006 turkey pardoning at the White House
In the early years, American presidents – including President Dwight D. Eisenhower – were merely presented with a turkey at the White House. The event evolved into a turkey ‘pardon’ under President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s
On Sunday, the White House put out an Instagram story, showing the two birds standing on the two beds in their suite and then walking around the hotel room.
‘Check back Monday to find out their names and cast your vote,’ the White House’s post said.
During the Obama years, the White House also offered an online poll to have Americans decide which turkey the president would pardon.
That turkey will stand outside in the Rose Garden with President Trump on Tuesday.
The other turkey will be saved as well, with the birds headed to live out their usually short lives at Virginia Tech’s ‘Gobbler’s Rest’ exhibit.
Turkeys bred for slaughter are generally morbidly obese, with many of the presidents’ pardoned turkeys living less than a year.
However, last year’s birds, Tater and Tot, were still kicking as of earlier this month.
American presidents were annually presented with a turkey starting in 1947, though the event didn’t officially meld into a pardoning ceremony until the Ronald Reagan years.
Reagan pardoned ‘Charlie’ the turkey in 1987.
President George H.W. Bush made it into an annual tradition when he took office in 1989.
And the tradition was respected through the Clinton and Bush 43 years.
President Obama tried to make the pardoning a family affair, having daughters Sasha and Malia participate for the first seven years he was in office.
Last year however, the girls, now in their teens, were replaced by younger models, with President Obama’s nephews Aaron and Austin Robinson standing alongside the president as he pardoned Tot.
During the Obama years the turkeys also got star treatment, staying at the Willard Hotel most years, or at the W, the more modern luxury hotel next door.