[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 49 (Monday, December 6, 2004)]
[Pages 2894-2895]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Lighting the National Christmas Tree

December 2, 2004

    Thank you all very much. Tonight we begin a joyous season, and the 
city of Washington is never more beautiful than during

[[Page 2895]]

the holidays. At Christmastime, we celebrate good tidings first 
announced 2,000 years ago and still a source of great joy in our world. 
Laura and I are always happy to join in the Pageant of Peace, and we 
thank you all for coming this evening.
    I thank our special guests. I want to thank Santa for such good 
weather. [Laughter] I appreciate Peter, the chairman of the Pageant of 
Peace, and his wife, Nancy. I want to thank John Betchkal, the president 
of the Christmas Pageant of Peace. I want to thank the members of the 
board of the Christmas Pageant of Peace for your hard work in putting on 
this joyous festival. I want to thank Secretary of the Interior Gale 
Norton. I want to thank other members of my Cabinet who are here 
tonight. I appreciate the Members of Congress who are here.
    I want to thank Fran Mainella, who is the Director of the Parks 
Service, and all the National Parks Service employees. I thank Dr. 
Schuller and all the entertainers. Thanks so very much for being here 
tonight.
    The season of Advent is always the season of hope. We think of the 
patient hope of men and women across the centuries who listened to the 
words of the prophets and lived in joyful expectation. We think of the 
hope of Mary, who welcomed God's plan with great faith. We think of the 
hope of the wise men who set out on a long journey guided only by a 
slender promise traced in the stars. We are reminded of the hope that 
the grandest purposes of the Almighty can be found in the humblest 
places. And we embrace the hope that all the love and gifts that come to 
us in this life are the signs and symbols of even a greater love and 
gift that came on a holy night. The old carol speaks of a ``thrill of 
hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious 
morn.'' And every year at this time we feel the thrill of hope as we 
wait on Christmas Day.
    This Christmas, as loved ones come together, some in our military 
are separated from family by the call of duty a long way from home. We 
have service men and women celebrating the holidays at bases from Europe 
to East Asia and on many fronts in the war on terror. Especially for 
those deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq, the work is dangerous and the 
mission is urgent. American service men and women are bringing freedom 
to many and peace to future generations. Their sacrifices defend us all, 
and all Americans are grateful to them and to our military families.
    Across our country, citizens are supporting our people in uniform 
with their prayers and many acts of kindness. Often the effort is led by 
children. In Chantilly, Virginia, Brownie Troop 5179, who are here 
tonight, by the way, collected donations of candy and sun screen, bug 
spray, and handmade cards to send to our soldiers overseas. They 
gathered more than 200 pounds of gifts and made sure the packages 
arrived on time for the holidays. I'm sure those thoughtful gifts were 
gladly received.
    And I thank the Brownies for reminding the good people of our 
military how much they mean to America. And to show our appreciation to 
the Brownies of Chantilly, Virginia, and all those who volunteer in our 
blessed land, we have two representatives of the Troop to help Laura and 
me light our national Christmas tree.
    And so, if Nichole and Clara will come forward, we will turn on the 
lights. Are you ready? Now will you join me in the countdown? Five, 
four, three, two, one.

Note: The President spoke at 5:56 p.m. on the Ellipse during the annual 
Christmas Pageant of Peace. In his remarks, he referred to John 
Betchkal, president, Christmas Pageant of Peace; Peter Nostrand, 
chairman, Christmas Pageant of Peace, and his wife, Nancy; Dr. Robert H. 
Schuller, minister, Reformed Church in America; and Nichole Mastracchio 
and Clara Pitts, members, Brownie Troop 5179, Chantilly, VA.