Miami Mayor pardons pig named 6-7 in eighth annual holiday ceremony
TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Dec 10, 2025, 02:12 IST
In a festive ceremony at a Brickell café, Miami-Dade County Mayor granted a symbolic pardon to a pig named 6-7. The event celebrates local holiday culture and spares the animal from becoming a lechón roast.
TL;DR
Miami-Dade Mayor pardoned a pig named 6-7 right before the holidays at Latin Café 2000 in Brickell — carrying on a tradition that exchanges a lechón dinner for love and the communal spirit.
One of the most talked about events at the Latin Cafe 2000 in Brickell was the yearly Pig Pardoning Ceremony held on Tuesday, during which Miami Mayor pardoned a pig named 6-7. The event thus puts an end to this animal's annual sacrifice and gives it a chance of a peaceful life apart from the numerous other lechóns.
The program is Miami-Dade County's annual 'harvest holiday' and its eighth year has just been held. According to the county, 6-7 will be given a "free escape from caja china" card - a metaphorical allusion to a box used for cooking lechón, or roasting a pig, typical of holiday meals, which is very popular in Miami-Dade County.
One of the highlights of the ceremony was also the food brought to the table-keeping in mind both the festivity and the humane message. Upon their arrival, guests were served coffee like from a café, freshly brewed and spinach croquettes.
The story was in 2018. Among the most strange characteristics of the Latin Cafe 2000 owner was the fact that after he/she saw the turkey pardon performed by the President at Thanksgiving and got inspired, he/she conceived the idea of replacing the turkey with a pig. As a result of the restaurant owner having realised that most of the South Florida families use pork to replace turkey at their holiday table, he proposed to spare a pig instead.
The restaurant chain owner informs that the demand for holiday lechón is quite considerable. As an illustration, someone may say that in Latin Cafe 2000 only, during the festive season, dozens of thousands of pounds of pork are being served.
After the pig is pardoned, it is going to be transported to a place such as a shelter or an animal farm, where it will be raised in decent conditions. Pigs that have been pardoned in the past and are going to find a new home at the Bonanza Equestrian Centre are an example of a place, which is the way to figure it out.
Proponents of the custom consider it an amusing yet impactful manner in which Miami's multicultural holiday traditions can be recognised. Miami is a melting pot of cultures, of which Cuban, Latin American, Haitian, and Caribbean are some of the communities that have the roast pig as the centrepiece of their festive gatherings. As a result, the pig pardoning ceremony is a union of cultural respect and compassion.
During the Tuesday event, Mayor Levine Cava gave her short award speech to the gathered crowd, thereby officially giving 6-7 a break from roasting at the holidays. She went on to say that the little pig will now get the chance to lead a long and peaceful life away from the kind of underside pits or roasting boxes used at Christmas.
While people were savouring their café drinks and snacks, the pardon was a reminder about how communities can compassionately adapt their traditions. To many people of this city, the event is not only the beginning of the lechón season but also a symbolic gesture that connects cultural heritage and humane treatment.
FAQs
Miami-Dade Mayor pardoned a pig named 6-7 right before the holidays at Latin Café 2000 in Brickell — carrying on a tradition that exchanges a lechón dinner for love and the communal spirit.
One of the most talked about events at the Latin Cafe 2000 in Brickell was the yearly Pig Pardoning Ceremony held on Tuesday, during which Miami Mayor pardoned a pig named 6-7. The event thus puts an end to this animal's annual sacrifice and gives it a chance of a peaceful life apart from the numerous other lechóns.
The program is Miami-Dade County's annual 'harvest holiday' and its eighth year has just been held. According to the county, 6-7 will be given a "free escape from caja china" card - a metaphorical allusion to a box used for cooking lechón, or roasting a pig, typical of holiday meals, which is very popular in Miami-Dade County.
One of the highlights of the ceremony was also the food brought to the table-keeping in mind both the festivity and the humane message. Upon their arrival, guests were served coffee like from a café, freshly brewed and spinach croquettes.
The story was in 2018. Among the most strange characteristics of the Latin Cafe 2000 owner was the fact that after he/she saw the turkey pardon performed by the President at Thanksgiving and got inspired, he/she conceived the idea of replacing the turkey with a pig. As a result of the restaurant owner having realised that most of the South Florida families use pork to replace turkey at their holiday table, he proposed to spare a pig instead.
The restaurant chain owner informs that the demand for holiday lechón is quite considerable. As an illustration, someone may say that in Latin Cafe 2000 only, during the festive season, dozens of thousands of pounds of pork are being served.
After the pig is pardoned, it is going to be transported to a place such as a shelter or an animal farm, where it will be raised in decent conditions. Pigs that have been pardoned in the past and are going to find a new home at the Bonanza Equestrian Centre are an example of a place, which is the way to figure it out.
Proponents of the custom consider it an amusing yet impactful manner in which Miami's multicultural holiday traditions can be recognised. Miami is a melting pot of cultures, of which Cuban, Latin American, Haitian, and Caribbean are some of the communities that have the roast pig as the centrepiece of their festive gatherings. As a result, the pig pardoning ceremony is a union of cultural respect and compassion.
During the Tuesday event, Mayor Levine Cava gave her short award speech to the gathered crowd, thereby officially giving 6-7 a break from roasting at the holidays. She went on to say that the little pig will now get the chance to lead a long and peaceful life away from the kind of underside pits or roasting boxes used at Christmas.
While people were savouring their café drinks and snacks, the pardon was a reminder about how communities can compassionately adapt their traditions. To many people of this city, the event is not only the beginning of the lechón season but also a symbolic gesture that connects cultural heritage and humane treatment.
FAQs
- Why does Miami pardon pigs instead of turkeys?
The pig pardoning is modelled on the American Thanksgiving turkey pardon. The difference is that while in the U.S. families eat turkey for the holidays, in South Florida, a lot of people prefer lechón (roast pork). That is why the pig pardon is the one to be done. - When did the tradition start?
The pig pardoning ceremony at Latin Cafe 2000 in Brickell started in 2018.