Biden gives turkeys the chance to 'gobble on'

Joe Biden may be what is known as a lame duck president (the term for an outgoing president whose successor has already been chosen).

But he carried out his official duties for another type of birds today - turkeys Peach and Blossom.

The turkey pardoning has become a White House tradition in the days before Thanksgiving.

Biden acknowledged this was his last time being a part of the light-hearted event, saying he will allow the turkeys to keep calm and "gobble on".

The 40 pound (18kg) birds he pardoned will now go back to the state of Minnesota to become "agricultural ambassadors".

And Biden is off to New York to hold a "Friendsgiving" with Coast Guard members.

We're wrapping up today's coverage from the White House, thanks for following along.

Biden ends remarks on serious note

Biden spent the first half of his remarks joking about the turkey pardons, but finished his speech on a more serious tone.

This event, he says, marks the start of the holidays and notes that while this is his last turkey pardon, being president has "been the honour of my life, I'm forever grateful".

He tells the crowd that later today he and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Staten Island, New York, for a Friendsgiving with Coast Guard members.

The president told the crowd the holiday is a time to "focus on what matters most, our families".

What do Americans do on Thanksgiving?

Many American families and friends gather with one another on Thanksgiving each year to reflect on the positive things in life.

It's held every year on the fourth Thursday in November and for many it marks the start of the Christmas holiday season.

Among the foods generally served during Thanksgiving are turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and cranberry sauce.

The holiday also brings dozens of Thanksgiving parades including the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City which is in its 100th year.

The strange tradition of presidential turkey pardons

Turkey pardons can be traced back to President Abraham Lincoln in 1863.

Historians claim he spared a turkey's life after his son, Tad, befriended it.

But yearly pardoning became an "official" tradition under George H W Bush, when the former president pardoned a turkey in 1989 as animal-rights activists protested nearby.

"'Reprieve,' 'keep him going', or 'pardon': it's all the same for the turkey, as long as he doesn't end up on the president's holiday table," he said.

Other presidents before Bush Snr did spare birds lives, including President John F Kennedy - who gave an unofficial pardoning days before his assassination in 1963.

Many people believe the custom was started by Harry Truman in 1947, because he was the first president to receive a turkey on behalf of the poultry industry.

Turkeys saved from chopping block by Biden's pardon

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the presidential turkey pardons.

It's a quirky White House tradition that has links as far back as Abraham Lincoln's time in office.

At 11:00 EST (16:00 GMT) we will have the President of the United States hanging out with Peach and Blossom, two turkeys he will "pardon" ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday - a day where Americans traditionally feast on roast turkey.

Prepare yourself to hear plenty of dad jokes from Biden, who will pardon turkeys for the final time of his presidency.

You will be able to livestream the pardoning at the top of this page.

Stick with us as we bring the the strangeness of Peach and Blossom avoiding the fowl fate of ending up on a Thanksgiving table.