[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 224 (Monday, November 21, 2011)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 72079-72080]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-30203]



[[Page 72077]]

Vol. 76

Monday,

No. 224

November 21, 2011

Part III





The President





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Proclamation 8755--Thanksgiving Day, 2011
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  Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 224 / Monday, November 21, 2011 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 72079]]

                Proclamation 8755 of November 16, 2011

                
Thanksgiving Day, 2011

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                One of our Nation's oldest and most cherished 
                traditions, Thanksgiving Day brings us closer to our 
                loved ones and invites us to reflect on the blessings 
                that enrich our lives. The observance recalls the 
                celebration of an autumn harvest centuries ago, when 
                the Wampanoag tribe joined the Pilgrims at Plymouth 
                Colony to share in the fruits of a bountiful season. 
                The feast honored the Wampanoag for generously 
                extending their knowledge of local game and agriculture 
                to the Pilgrims, and today we renew our gratitude to 
                all American Indians and Alaska Natives. We take this 
                time to remember the ways that the First Americans have 
                enriched our Nation's heritage, from their generosity 
                centuries ago to the everyday contributions they make 
                to all facets of American life. As we come together 
                with friends, family, and neighbors to celebrate, let 
                us set aside our daily concerns and give thanks for the 
                providence bestowed upon us.

                Though our traditions have evolved, the spirit of grace 
                and humility at the heart of Thanksgiving has persisted 
                through every chapter of our story. When President 
                George Washington proclaimed our country's first 
                Thanksgiving, he praised a generous and knowing God for 
                shepherding our young Republic through its uncertain 
                beginnings. Decades later, President Abraham Lincoln 
                looked to the divine to protect those who had known the 
                worst of civil war, and to restore the Nation ``to the 
                full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and 
                union.''

                In times of adversity and times of plenty, we have 
                lifted our hearts by giving humble thanks for the 
                blessings we have received and for those who bring 
                meaning to our lives. Today, let us offer gratitude to 
                our men and women in uniform for their many sacrifices, 
                and keep in our thoughts the families who save an empty 
                seat at the table for a loved one stationed in harm's 
                way. And as members of our American family make do with 
                less, let us rededicate ourselves to our friends and 
                fellow citizens in need of a helping hand.

                As we gather in our communities and in our homes, 
                around the table or near the hearth, we give thanks to 
                each other and to God for the many kindnesses and 
                comforts that grace our lives. Let us pause to recount 
                the simple gifts that sustain us, and resolve to pay 
                them forward in the year to come.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 
                24, 2011, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I 
                encourage the people of the United States to come 
                together--whether in our homes, places of worship, 
                community centers, or any place of fellowship for 
                friends and neighbors--to give thanks for all we have 
                received in the past year, to express appreciation to 
                those whose lives enrich our own, and to share our 
                bounty with others.

[[Page 72080]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                sixteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2011-30203
Filed 11-18-11; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F2-P