[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 52 (Monday, December 28, 1998)]
[Pages 2521-2522]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Message on the Observance of Christmas, 1998

December 22, 1998

    Warm greetings to everyone celebrating Christmas.
    Each year during this season of light and hope, of sharing and 
giving, we celebrate the birth of a Child. This Child came into the

[[Page 2522]]

world with only a stable's roof to shelter Him; yet He grew to teach a 
lesson of love that continues to enrich our lives 2,000 years later.
    That love is at the heart of Christmas. It is the love we give our 
children, who make our world radiant with joy and promise. It is the 
love of family and friends that inspires every gift and greeting we 
receive. It is the love that moves us to reject the prejudices that 
divide us. It is the love that calls us to ease the suffering of those 
touched by poverty, illness, injustice, or oppression. Above all, it is 
the love of God for each of us, revealed in the timeless gift of His 
Son.
    Wherever Americans gather to celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us 
give thanks for the precious gift of love that graces our lives and 
lights our way toward a better future.
    Hillary joins me in sending our warmest wishes for a memorable 
Christmas and a new year bright with the hope of joy and peace.
                                                  Bill Clinton