[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 140 (Monday, October 28, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1963]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO THANKSGIVING

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB SCHAFFER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 28, 2002

  Mr. SCHAFFER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the national 
holiday of Thanksgiving to be held this year on the 28th of November.
  This traditional holiday, bringing together families and celebrating 
what we are blessed with as individuals and as a country, takes on an 
ever more important meaning now as Americans confront terrorism. For 
the nation to give thanks to God is a hallowed custom, one which is 
truly American.
  Initially celebrated by our forefathers, this holiday became a 
tradition of thanks for a bountiful harvest, which provided colonists 
with enough food to last through the winter. The observation was also a 
time to pray and give thanks for peace with their Native American 
neighbors. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln officially appointed a 
national day of Thanksgiving. Since then, each president has issued a 
Thanksgiving Day proclamation, designating the fourth Thursday of each 
November as the official holiday.
  As we take the time out of our busy lives to stop and give thanks for 
the food on our table, our loved ones, the homes we live in and our 
magnificent nation, let us also remember our forefathers and the 
sacrifices they made to build our great country and the freedoms by 
which we may celebrate and express our thanks.

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