In annual American tradition,  two lucky turkeys received pardons from President Obama Wednesday in advance of Thanksgiving.

Many of their fine-feathered friends will get roasted, baked and turned into fodder for hungry American on Thursday, but "Mac" and "Cheese" the fortunate turkeys will live to face another day. In fact, the two presidential turkeys will live out their natural lives at Morven Park in Leesburg, Virginia.

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That part of the tradition is new as previous pardoned turkeys went to George Washington's Mount Vernon in recent years. Past turkey parolees ended up at Disney World, Disney Land or petting zoos.

President Obama pardoned Popcorn in a stirring ceremony on the White House lawn with his daughters Sasha and Malia, at his side in 2013. Mac and Cheese will join last year's backup turkey Caramel at Leesburg. Popcorn, who did the photo opps as Caramel watched in 2013, wasn't killed for food, but nonetheless died on the farm this summer.

Turkeys, "aren't bred for longevity," said Keith Williams, National Turkey Federation spokesman. "They're not pets. They're not workhorses. They don't live that long."

The National Turkey Federation chooses the fortunate birds. The group works with farmers, eventually choosing two finalists who are sent to the White House. One is pardoned. the other is backup because you never know what's going to happen. Both turkeys get to live.

"Everyone calls it 'the pardon,'" Williams said, "but it's the presentation of the national Thanksgiving turkey."

Turkeys have been saved by presidents since President Harry Truman did it in the late 1940s. However, the act became more-or-less institutionalized with President George H.W. Bush who made a casual comment that he was pardoning the bird, and the rest became presidential tradition.

These lucky turkeys came from an Ohio farm. Morven Park's Teresa Davenport said she would transport Mac and Cheese directly from the White house lawn to their new pasture about an hour south of Washington D.C.

"I'm bringing them in the back of our van and hoping it's not snowy and rainy," Davenport told ABC News.

TagsThanksgiving, Turkey, Obama, pardon, national turkey federation, how long do turkeys live, George H.W. Bush