[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 128, 113th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 9214--NOV. 26, 2014

Proclamation 9214 of November 26, 2014

Thanksgiving Day, 2014

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Thanksgiving Day invites us to reflect on the blessings we enjoy and the
freedoms we cherish. As we gather with family and friends to take part
in this uniquely American celebration, we give thanks for the
extraordinary opportunities we have in a Nation of limitless
possibilities, and we pay tribute to all those who defend our Union as
members of our Armed Forces. This holiday reminds us to show compassion
and concern for people we have never met and deep gratitude toward those
who have sacrificed to help build the most prosperous Nation on earth.
These traditions honor the rich history of our country and hold us
together as one American family, no matter who we are or where we come
from.
Nearly 400 years ago, a group of Pilgrims left their homeland and sailed
across an ocean in pursuit of liberty and prosperity. With the

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friendship and kindness of the Wampanoag people, they learned to harvest
the rich bounty of a new world. Together, they shared a successful crop,
celebrating bonds of community during a time of great hardship. Through
times of war and of peace, the example of a Native tribe who extended a
hand to a new people has endured. During the American Revolution and the
Civil War, days of thanksgiving drew Americans together in prayer and in
the spirit that guides us to better days, and in each year since, our
Nation has paused to show our gratitude for our families, communities,
and country.
With God's grace, this holiday season we carry forward the legacy of our
forebears. In the company of our loved ones, we give thanks for the
people we care about and the joy we share, and we remember those who are
less fortunate. At shelters and soup kitchens, Americans give meaning to
the simple truth that binds us together: we are our brother's and our
sister's keepers. We remember how a determined people set out for a
better world--how through faith and the charity of others, they forged a
new life built on freedom and opportunity.
The spirit of Thanksgiving is universal. It is found in small moments
between strangers, reunions shared with friends and loved ones, and in
quiet prayers for others. Within the heart of America's promise burns
the inextinguishable belief that together we can advance our common
prosperity--that we can build a more hopeful, more just, and more
unified Nation. This Thanksgiving, let us recall the values that unite
our diverse country, and let us resolve to strengthen these lasting
ties.
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 27,
2014, 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 twenty-sixth day of
November, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
ninth.
BARACK OBAMA