    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 117, 108th Congress, 1st Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Proclamation 7738 of November 21, 2003

    Thanksgiving Day, 2003

    By the President of the United States of America
    A Proclamation

    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.
    GEORGE W. BUSH

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