[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 227 (Wednesday, November 25, 2015)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 73941-73942]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30252]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 80 , No. 227 / Wednesday, November 25, 2015 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 73941]]


                Proclamation 9372 of November 20, 2015

                
Thanksgiving Day, 2015

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Rooted in a story of generosity and partnership, 
                Thanksgiving offers an opportunity for us to express 
                our gratitude for the gifts we have and to show our 
                appreciation for all we hold dear. Today, as we give of 
                ourselves in service to others and spend cherished time 
                with family and friends, we give thanks for the many 
                blessings bestowed upon us. We also honor the men and 
                women in uniform who fight to safeguard our country and 
                our freedoms so we can share occasions like this with 
                loved ones, and we thank our selfless military families 
                who stand beside and support them each and every day.

                Our modern celebration of Thanksgiving can be traced 
                back to the early 17th century. Upon arriving in 
                Plymouth, at the culmination of months of testing 
                travel that resulted in death and disease, the Pilgrims 
                continued to face great challenges. An indigenous 
                people, the Wampanoag, helped them adjust to their new 
                home, teaching them critical survival techniques and 
                important crop cultivation methods. After securing a 
                bountiful harvest, the settlers and Wampanoag joined in 
                fellowship for a shared dinner to celebrate powerful 
                traditions that are still observed at Thanksgiving 
                today: lifting one another up, enjoying time with those 
                around us, and appreciating all that we have.

                Carrying us through trial and triumph, this sense of 
                decency and compassion has defined our Nation. 
                President George Washington proclaimed the first 
                Thanksgiving in our country's nascence, calling on the 
                citizens of our fledgling democracy to place their 
                faith in ``the providence of Almighty God,'' and to be 
                thankful for what is bequeathed to us. In the midst of 
                bitter division at a critical juncture for America, 
                President Abraham Lincoln acknowledged the plight of 
                the most vulnerable, declaring a ``day of 
                thanksgiving,'' on which all citizens would ``commend 
                to [God's] tender care'' those most affected by the 
                violence of the time--widows, orphans, mourners, and 
                sufferers of the Civil War. A tradition of giving 
                continues to inspire this holiday, and at shelters and 
                food centers, on battlefields and city streets, and 
                through generous donations and silent prayers, the 
                inherent selflessness and common goodness of the 
                American people endures.

                In the same spirit of togetherness and thanksgiving 
                that inspired the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag, we pay 
                tribute to people of every background and belief who 
                contribute in their own unique ways to our country's 
                story. Each of us brings our own traditions, cultures, 
                and recipes to this quintessential American holiday--
                whether around dinner tables, in soup kitchens, or at 
                home cheering on our favorite sports teams--but we are 
                all united in appreciation of the bounty of our Nation. 
                Let us express our gratitude by welcoming others to our 
                celebrations and recognize those who volunteer today to 
                ensure a dinner is possible for those who might have 
                gone without. Together, we can secure our founding 
                ideals as the birthright of all future generations of 
                Americans.

                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 November 26, 2015,

[[Page 73942]]

                as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage the 
                people of the United States to join together--whether 
                in our homes, places of worship, community centers, or 
                any place of fellowship for friends and neighbors--and 
                give thanks for all we have received in the past year, 
                express appreciation to those whose lives enrich our 
                own, and share our bounty with others.

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

[FR Doc. 2015-30252
Filed 11-24-15; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F6-P