No Thanksgiving Table For These Lucky Birds!

On a day when an estimated 45 million of their cohorts will take center stage at dinner tables all over the country, two lucky birds will be happily cackling away at George Washington's Mt. Vernon Estate in Virginia, thanks to a special presidential pardon.

The fortunate birds dubbed 'Liberty' and 'Peace' that came from Willmar, Minnesota, were selected from a group of pampered turkeys raised especially for this occasion. Besides being kept in luxurious barns, they were also subjected to White House etiquette lessons and exposed to crowds and music, so that they would not panic, during the pardoning ceremony.

The night prior to the elaborate White House ceremony, which took place on November 23rd, Liberty and his alternate Peace, along with four high school students flew into Washington D.C.(first class of course). The two birds spent the night inside a custom suite at the swanky W Hotel, where they dined on acorns, berries and corn.

The next morning, the rested and well-fed birds arrived at the While House for the big event. Once here, Liberty graciously received the pardon from President Obama with first daughters Malia and Sasha looking on. As for Peace, it was nowhere to be seen - But since Liberty did its job perfectly, the alternate bird's presence was not really required.

Following the ceremony, the two left for their permanent home, where Liberty will star in the 'Christmas at Mt. Vernon', a special holiday event that runs through January 6th, 2012. Following that, the two birds will settle down inside a custom-made enclosure and spend the rest of their lives, living in style.

The age-old tradition of pardoning a single turkey is believed to have been started by President Truman, but it was not until 1989 that it was made official by President George Bush. However, when a turkey also named Liberty escaped before President Reagan could pardon him, the organizers decided to add a second turkey that acts as a back-up, in case an incident like that ever happens again. We wish Liberty and Peace a long and healthy life. As for the rest of the turkeys, all we can say, is Gobble Gobble!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sources:obamafoodorama.blogspot.com, voanews.com, huffingtonpost.com