President Joe Biden took part in a long-running White House tradition Friday when he pardoned two White House turkeys.
Watch the pardoning ceremony below:
Biden issued pardons to the two turkeys, named Peanut Butter and Jelly, during a ceremony in the Rose Garden.
USA Today reports that the turkeys were raised on Farbest Farms in Jasper, Indiana. Now that they've been pardoned, they'll return to the Hoosier State to live their lives on a farm owned by Purdue University.
On Thursday evening, per tradition, Peanut Butter and Jelly spent the evening at the Willard Hotel, an upscale hotel in downtown Washington.
Meet Peanut Butter and Jelly, the turkeys who will be pardoned by @POTUS tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/36XjavdIlm
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 18, 2021
It’s a big day for Peanut Butter and Jelly! Thanks for spending the morning with these lucky guys, @7NewsDC @Kristen7News. Now, on to the @WhiteHouse! pic.twitter.com/F6WqAF2B7T
— National Turkey Federation (@natlturkeyfed) November 19, 2021
Peanut Butter and Jelly are just the latest in a long line of turkeys to be pardoned by the commander in chief.
During his time in office, President Donald Trump let social media users pick between two turkeys for the title of White House turkey. Last year, "Corn" beat out "Cob" for the title. Other Trump-era winners included "Bread" in 2019 and "Peas" in 2018.
Friday marked Biden's first turkey pardoning ceremony as president. The ceremony took place hours after he briefly transferred presidential powers to Vice President Kamala Harris after he underwent a "routine colonoscopy" at Walter Reed Medical Center.
Legend has it that the first president to issue a pardon to a turkey was Abraham Lincoln, who did so at the request of his son. The first recorded pardon of a White House turkey was issued by President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
CNN reports that the turkey pardon became an annual tradition in 1989 when President George H.W. Bush revived the tradition.
