[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 48 (Monday, November 29, 2004)]
[Pages 2864-2865]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7849--Thanksgiving Day, 2004

November 23, 2004

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    All across America, we gather this week with the people we love to 
give thanks to God for the blessings in our lives. We are grateful for 
our freedom, grateful for our families and friends, and grateful for the 
many gifts of America. On Thanksgiving Day, we acknowledge that all of 
these things, and life itself, come from the Almighty God.

[[Page 2865]]

    Almost four centuries ago, the Pilgrims celebrated a harvest feast 
to thank God after suffering through a brutal winter. President George 
Washington proclaimed the first National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789, 
and President Lincoln revived the tradition during the Civil War, asking 
Americans to give thanks with ``one heart and one voice.'' Since then, 
in times of war and in times of peace, Americans have gathered with 
family and friends and given thanks to God for our blessings.
    Thanksgiving is also a time to share our blessings with those who 
are less fortunate. Americans this week will gather food and clothing 
for neighbors in need. Many young people will give part of their holiday 
to volunteer at homeless shelters and food pantries. On Thanksgiving, we 
remember that the true strength of America lies in the hearts and souls 
of the American people. By seeking out those who are hurting and by 
lending a hand, Americans touch the lives of their fellow citizens and 
help make our Nation and the world a better place.
    This Thanksgiving, we express our gratitude to our dedicated 
firefighters and police officers who help keep our homeland safe. We are 
grateful to the homeland security and intelligence personnel who spend 
long hours on faithful watch. And we give thanks for the Americans in 
our Armed Forces who are serving around the world to secure our country 
and advance the cause of freedom. These brave men and women make our 
entire Nation proud, and we thank them and their families for their 
sacrifice.
    On this Thanksgiving Day, we thank God for His blessings and ask Him 
to continue to guide and watch over our Nation.
    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 25, 
2004, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all Americans to 
gather together in their homes and places of worship to reinforce the 
ties of family and community and to express gratitude for the many 
blessings we enjoy.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-third 
day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand four, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
ninth.
                                                George W. Bush

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., November 26, 
2004]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on 
November 29. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish 
language version of this proclamation.