WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will soon spare two turkeys named for one of the nation's most admired presidents, continuing a White House tradition that provides a refreshing sense of amusement and bipartisan cheer no matter how troubled the times.

The White House says Obama will pardon "Honest" and his alternate "Abe." The two turkeys will get a reprieve from the oven and will spend their remaining days living on a nearby Virginia farm.

Both birds hail from California, are 18 weeks old and weigh in at about 42 pounds each. Honest has a red face and neck, while Abe's crown features more extensive blue splotches.

George H.W. Bush was the first president to formally pardon a Thanksgiving turkey, though stories of spared turkeys date back to Abraham Lincoln's presidency.