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Happy Thanksgiving, little turkeys!
This special issue of POLITI-Kids pairs well with turkey and pie, and we hope it helps guide your Thanksgiving celebrations with a little turkey-themed news.
Each year, Americans across the country gather with family and loved ones to celebrate and express their gratitude for the most important things in their lives. We want to thank all of our wonderful readers, who have supported this newsletter by reading, coloring, learning, and creating with us — you are simply the best.
Yours in gratitude,
The POLITI-Kids Team
Aloïse Phelps and Alexa Velickovich
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HEARTWARMING THANKSGIVING TRADITION CONTINUES
In 2016, Wanda Dench sent a typical text inviting her son to Thanksgiving dinner at her home in Arizona. However, she accidentally sent the message to the wrong number. The recipient, Jamal Hinton, a then-high school student, realized the error and responded "You not my grandma, can I still get a plate tho?" Dench replied "Of course you can. That's what grandma's do...feed everyone."
After gathering the details about time and place, Hinton attended Thanksgiving dinner at Hinton's house. The two became friends and they have celebrated every Thanksgiving together since. Their story picked up on social media and Hinton tweeted earlier this month that they are all set to eat together for year 6.
Hinton and Dench's friendship has grown beyond just turkey and pie. In 2019, Dench lost her husband, Lonnie, to Covid-19 and Hinton made sure she felt cared for. He sent care packages and even created a video of people from around the world who have followed their friendship sending condolences.
While this is the second Thanksgiving without her husband, Dench is excited to welcome Hinton back into her home and continue to celebrate their accidental and wonderful friendship.
(Image Source: Twitter, Source: The Guardian)
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JOKES OF THE WEEK:
Bring these to your Thanksgiving table for some guaranteed laughs.
Q: Why was the turkey the drummer in the band?
A: Because he had the drumsticks!
Q: What sounds does a turkey's phone make?
A: Wing! Wing!
Q: Whats the best dance to do on Thanksgiving?
A: The turkey trot!
Q: If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?
A: Pilgrims!
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Tamara
Tamara who?
Tamara we'll eat all the leftovers!
Q: What do you wear to Thanksgiving dinner?
A: A har-vest!
Q: What did the turkey say to the computer?
A: Google, google.
Q: Why was the Thanksgiving soup so expensive?
A: It had 24 carrots.
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Below is an excerpt from a POLITICO article, along with some questions to help guide your reading.
To read the full article, click here. |
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White House reveals names of (pardoned) turkeys — Peanut Butter and Jelly
By Claire Rafford
November 18, 2021
What goes together better than peanut butter and jelly? Peanut butter, jelly and turkey, of course.
At least that's how the White House sees it. The names for the two turkeys who (were) presidential(ly) pardon(ed) this year are Peanut Butter and Jelly. A video from the White House showed the two birds ruffling their feathers in a room at the Willard Hotel, preparing for their close-up. On Friday, President Joe Biden pardon(ed) one of the two and dub(bed) the bird the official Thanksgiving turkey — although both birds will be spared from the Thanksgiving table.
The birds were raised in Jasper, Ind., by turkey grower Andrea Welp. Both turkeys are male and weigh about 40 pounds, National Turkey Federation Chair Phil Seger said at a Thursday press conference.
"Raising the presidential turkey flock has really been a lot of fun this year," Welp said. "As we all know with another year of uncertainties with a pandemic, this project has really been something to look forward to and a joy to be able to participate in."
Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) made an appearance at the turkey pardon press conference, calling Peanut Butter and Jelly "the two luckiest turkeys in the country, maybe." Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.), who represents the turkeys' home district, also spoke, welcoming Peanut Butter and Jelly to Washington.
"Some may say that I'm biased, but there's no doubt that Indiana's eighth district has the best turkeys in the country," Bucshon said.
The presidential turkey pardon has a storied history. The first president to be presented with a turkey was Harry Truman in 1947, though the official White House turkey pardoning was started by President George H.W. Bush in 1989. The turkeys are always named in pairs — including 2014's Mac and Cheese, 2016's Tater and Tot and 2017's Drumstick and Wishbone. In 2020, President Donald Trump pardoned turkey Corn over Cob.
Following Friday's ceremony, Peanut Butter and Jelly (returned) to their home state of Indiana to live out the rest of their days at Purdue University in West Lafayette.
This article has been edited to include updated language on the presidential pardon.
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GUIDED ARTICLE QUESTIONS:
1. Who raised the presidential turkeys, and where are they from?
2. Which president started the presidential pardon tradition? When did it become official?
3. Where do the turkeys stay when they come to Washington, D.C.?
4. What happens to the turkeys after they are pardoned?
5. What would you name the presidential turkeys to be pardoned?
BONUS: Which president unofficially started the presidential pardon tradition? (Hint: read the What's What section below!)
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WHAT'S WHAT IN THANKSGIVING HISTORY:
PRESIDENTIAL TURKEY PARDONING
Peanut Butter and Jelly (Susan Walsh/AP)
It has become a tradition that each Thanksgiving, the president “pardons” a turkey, sparing the bird from being eaten for dinner and ensuring that the rest of its days are spent roaming on a farm. The turkey, or sometimes multiple turkeys, are brought to Washington, D.C., and get to spend the night at a local 5-star hotel before the ceremony. The next morning, the turkey(s) are brought to the White House Rose Garden, and the president says a few words about them before officially saving them from the dinner table.
It was Abraham Lincoln who unofficially pardoned the first turkey. He instructed the White House to save a turkey given to the president, as his son had grown fond of the bird, and the notorious animal-loving Lincoln ordered that it be spared from death.
But the tradition did not start with Lincoln, and it did not start with President Harry S. Truman, even though he is often credited as the father of the presidential turkey pardon. President John F. Kennedy started the trend of publicly sparing a turkey gifted to the White House, and Ronald Reagan was the first president to send the turkey to a farm to live out the rest of its days. It was President George H.W. Bush who made the turkey pardon official.
Since then, at least one lucky turkey is spared from the Thanksgiving dinner table.
(Sources: National Constitution Center, The White House Historical Association, Time)
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RECIPE OF THE WEEK:
OREO TURKEYS
Adapted from Food.com
Ingredients:
– Oreo Double Stuff Cookies
– Malted milk balls (like a Whopper)
– Candy Corn
– Miniature peanut butter cups
– Chocolate and vanilla icing
– Red food dye
Directions:
1. Place one Oreo cookie as the base. Put one teaspoon of chocolate frosting on top.
2. Place one small peanut butter cup on it's side so that the top and bottom are perpendicular to the base and stuck in the frosting. Place a teaspoon of chocolate frosting on the top(widest part) of the p-butter cup.
3. For the second cookie. Stick some candy corn into the Oreo 'stuff' along one edge for the feathers -- pointy side down. They should fan out around the edge. If you have trouble doing this, you can help them stick with some white frosting.
4. Place this second Oreo cookie (the tail) on its edge and sticking to a dab of brown frosting on the back of the peanut butter cup.
5. Place a dab of chocolate frosting on top of the peanut butter up (for the head). Place a malted milk ball on top for the head.
6. Take a small amount of the white frosting in a separate dish. Mix in red food coloring.
7. Use a toothpick with the white and red colors to place eyes, and wattle. You can pinch off the small pointy top of a candy corn and dip it in brown frosting for the beak.
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Supplies:
– Pie garland template (found here)
– Glue
– Ruler
– Scissors
– Orange, and dark and light brown paper
– String
– White pom pom (optional)
Instructions:
1. Using scissors, out multiple diamond-shaped pieces of orange and dark brown paper using the template.
2. Fold diamond in half and secure with glue to create your triangular pie slice.
3. Cut strips of light brown paper, and fold them accordion style.
4. Glue the bottom folds of the crust onto the top edge of the pie slice in a slightly rounded shape.
5. For apple pie, cut additional strips of light brown paper. Glue them down on top of darker brown slices in a lattice pattern and trim off any excess.
6. Attach pom-pom on top for a scoop of ice cream!
7. String the pie slices through the yarn or glue it down.
8. Hang up, and enjoy!
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the following POLITICO's, POLITI-Kids and celebrities. Is your birthday coming up? Let us know by submitting your name and date of birth here!
November 24: Caroline O'Neal Brown, Darius Tahir, Katie Davis, Kelsey Miller, Sarah Dickson, Shia Kapos, Shubham Kadam, Sarah Hyland, President Zachary Taylor
November 26: Brittney Basden, DJ Khaled, Rita Ora, Tina Turner
November 27: Adam Cancryn, Solomon Yeon, Bill Nye
November 28: Cally Baute, Jon Stewart
November 29: Chadwick Boseman
November 30: Andy Glass, Chrissy Teigen, Ben Stiller, Kaley Cuoco
December 1: Elizabeth Ralph, Joshua Sztorc, Carlos Prieto, Chan Young Park, Abigail Resendiz, Janelle Monae, Zoë Kravitz, Bette Midler
December 2: Kristi Swartz, Troy Kieser, Britney Spears
December 3: Bruce Ritchie, Jake T. Austin, Amanda Seyfried, Tiffany Haddish
December 4: Stephanie Spartz, Ximena Bustillo, Jay-Z, Fred Armisen
December 5: Jessica Calefati, Elizabeth Crampton, President Martin Van Buren, Walt Disney
December 6: Architaa Kasera
December 7: Samuel Sutton, Sara Bareilles
December 8: Annie Yu, Danica Stanciu, Nicki Minaj
December 9: Nuha Dolby, Kaitlyn Olvera
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