THE WHITE HOUSE - Office of the Press Secretary - For Immediate Release - November 21, 2003
Proclamation by the President: Thanksgiving Day, 2003
Each year on Thanksgiving, we gather with family and friends to thank
God for the many blessings He has given us, and we ask God
to continue to guide and watch over our country.
Almost 400 years ago, after surviving their first winter at Plymouth,
the Pilgrims celebrated a harvest feast to give thanks. George
Washington proclaimed the first National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789,
and Abraham Lincoln revived the tradition during the Civil War.
Since that time, our citizens have paused to express thanks for the
bounty of blessings we enjoy and to spend time with family and
friends. In want or in plenty, in times of challenge or times of calm,
we always have reasons to be thankful.
America is a land of abundance, prosperity, and hope. We must never take
for granted the things that make our country great: a firm
foundation of freedom, justice, and equality; a belief in democracy and
the rule of law; and our fundamental rights to gather, speak,
and worship freely.
These liberties do not come without cost. Throughout history, many have
sacrificed to preserve our freedoms and to defend peace
around the world. Today, the brave men and women of our military
continue this noble tradition. These heroes and their loved ones
have the gratitude of our Nation.
On this day, we also remember those less fortunate among us. They are
our neighbors and our fellow citizens, and we are
committed to reaching out to them and to all of those in need in our
communities.
This Thanksgiving, we again give thanks for all of our blessings and for
the freedoms we enjoy every day. Our Founders thanked the
Almighty and humbly sought His wisdom and blessing. May we always live
by that same trust, and may God continue to watch over
and bless the United States of America.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by
the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim
Thursday, November 27, 2003, as a National Day of
Thanksgiving. I encourage Americans to gather in their homes, places of
worship, and community centers to share the spirit of
understanding and prayer and to reinforce ties of family and community.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of
November, in the year of our Lord two thousand three,
and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred
and twenty-eighth.