Pardoning a turkey means the president chooses a turkey to “save” from being at the center of someone’s table. Traditionally, the pardoning occurs on the first Tuesday of every year to mark the beginning of Thanksgiving week, per The Mirror. However, in 2022, President Joe Biden announced he would pardon two turkeys on Monday, Nov. 21, at the White House.

Source: https://www.distractify.com/p/why-does-the-president-pardon-a-turkey