THE WHI TE HOUSE Of f i ce of t he Pr ess Se Secr et ar y
For I mmedi at e Rel ease
November 26 26,, 20 2013 13 THA THANKSG KSGI VI NG DAY, 20 2013 13 - - - - - - -
BY THE THE PRESI PRESI DENT ENT OF OF THE THE UNI TED STATES OF AMERI CA A PRO PROCLAM CLAMATI ON Thanks Thanks gi vi ng of f er s each of us t he chance t o count our many bl ess i ngs - - t he f r eedoms we en enj oy, oy, t he t i me we spe spend wi t h l ove oved ones, t he br ave men and women who def end our Nat i on at home and and abr abr oad oad. Thi Thi s t r adi adi t i on r emi nds us us t hat no mat t er wh what our our backgr ackgr oun ound or or bel i ef s, no mat t er who we ar ar e or or who we l ove, ove, at our our cor e we ar e f i r st and and f or emost Amer i cans. cans. Our annual cel cel ebr at i on has r oot s i n cen cent ur i es- ol d col col oni al cust oms . When hen we gat gat her her ar ound ound t he t abl abl e, we f ol l ow t he exam exampl e of t he Pi Pi l gr i ms and and Wampanoa anoag gs, who shar shar ed t he f r ui t s of a success success f ul har vest vest near l y 400 year year s ag ago. When we of f er our our t hanks, anks, we mi r r or t hose who set asi de a day of pr ayer ayer . And when we j oi n wi t h f r i ends and and nei ghbor s t o al al l evi at e su suff f er i ng and make ake ou our communi t i es wh whol e, we hon honor or t he spi spi r i t of Pr esi dent Abr aham Li ncol col n, who cal cal l ed on hi s f el l ow ci t i zen zens t o "f er vent l y i mpl or e t he i nt er posi t i on of t he Al mi ght y ha hand t o he heal t he woun ounds of t he nat i on, on, and and t o r est or e i t , as soon soon as may be con consi st ent wi t h t he Di vi ne pur poses, ses, t o t he f ul l enj oyment of peace, ce, har mony, t r anqui l i t y, and uni on. " Our count count r y has al ways been been hom home t o Am Amer i cans who who r ecogni ecogni ze t he i mpor t ance ance of gi vi ng back. ack. Tod Today, ay, we honor onor al al l t hose ser ser vi ng our Na Nat i on f ar f r om home. We al so t hank t he f i r st r espon esponde derr s and and medi edi cal pr of essi onal onal s wh who wor k t hr oug ough t he hol i day t o keep keep us saf e, and and we ackn acknow owl edge edge t he vol vol unt eer eer s who dedi cat cat e t hi s da day t o t hose l ess f or t unat e. Thi s Thanks Thanks gi vi ng Day, l et us f or ge deeper deeper connect i ons wi t h our our l ove oved one ones. Let Let us ext ext end our our gr at i t ude and and our our compassi on. on. And l et us l i f t each ot her up and r ecog cogni ze, ze, i n t he ol dest s pi pi r i t of t hi s t r adi t i on, t hat we r i s e or f al l as on one Nat i on, unde underr God. od. NOW, THER THEREFO EFORE, I , BARACK OBAMA, Pr esi es i dent dent of t he Uni t ed St at es of of Amer i ca, ca, by vi r t ue of t he aut hor i t y vest ed i n me by t he Const onst i t ut i on and and t he l aws of t he Uni t ed St at es, do her eby eby pr pr ocl ai m Thu Thur sday, sday, Novem ovember 28, 2013, as a Nat i onal onal Day of Thanksgi ksgi vi ng. I encou cour age t he peopl e of t he Uni t ed St at es t o j oi n t oget her - - whet her i n our homes, pl aces ces of wor sh shii p, com communi t y cen cent er s, or any pl ace of f el l owshi p f or f r i ends and and nei ghbor s - - and gi ve t hanks anks f or al l we have ave r ecei cei ved ved i n t he past yea year , expr xpr ess app appr eci at i on t o t hose whose l i ves ves en enr i ch our own, and and shar shar e ou our boun ount y wi t h ot ot her s.
2 I N WI TNES TNESS S WHEREO EREOF, I have her eunt eunt o set s et my hand hand t hi s t went y- si xt h day of Nove ovember , i n t he year year of our our Lor d t wo t housan ousand d t hi r t een, and and of t he I ndependence of of t he Uni t ed St at es of Amer i ca t he t wo hu hundr ed and and t hi r t y- ei ght h.