DENVER (KDVR) — A cooked turkey is a staple centerpiece on the table for Thanksgiving, however, some turkeys have been spared from that fate through a somewhat unusual tradition that started with United States presidents.

On Monday, Gov. Jared Polis is continuing the tradition of "pardoning," or saving, two turkeys in Colorado from becoming Thanksgiving meals. While seemingly unconventional, this practice is far from new.

This idea started when former President Abraham Lincoln's son asked for a turkey, named Jack, to be spared from the table, according to White House records. Several former presidents, like Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, reprieved the bird from a meal, but the modern annual turkey "pardon" started with the George H.W. Bush administration.

In 1989, Bush of

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