Most Americans set aside this day to gather with friends and family to enjoy the bounty that many of us in the country enjoy and most of us aspire to. It is a day for football, food, preparing for the Christmas season in earnest, and most of all for thanking God for giving us another year in this country.
Many national and state leaders shared Thanksgiving greetings to the citizens of Alabama and beyond.
“On Thanksgiving Day, we recall the courageous and inspiring journey of the Pilgrims who, nearly four centuries ago, ventured across the vast ocean to flee religious persecution and establish a home in the New World,” President Donald J. Trump (R) wrote in his 2018 Thanksgiving Proclamation. “Facing dangerous conditions and uncertainty, the more than 100 Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts, and “instilled in our Nation a strong faith in God that continues to be a beacon of hope to all Americans.”
In recognition of their journey, President George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving Proclamation on November 26, 1789. But it was under President Abraham Lincoln that the day became a true national celebration on the final Thursday of November each year.
“We give thanks for the family, friends, neighbors and loved ones who enrich our lives, lift our spirits, and fill our days with joy. And we give thanks to God, who continues to shed his almighty grace upon this magnificent land that we all love so very much,” President Trump said Tuesday from the Rose Garden.
“When most people think of Thanksgiving, they think of the Pilgrims, Plymouth Colony, and the Wampanoag Indians celebrated the first harvest of the Colonists after a brutal winter,” Congressman Gary Palmer, R-Hoover, wrote. “While many arbitrary feasts were celebrated in the years following, in 1863, President Lincoln issued a proclamation during the Civil War that really established Thanksgiving as an American holiday. In his proclamation, Lincoln asked God to “commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.” Thanksgiving was then made an official celebration. In the fall of 1941, both house of Congress passed a joint resolution establishing the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day. As a nation, we have much to give thanks for and I hope that you enjoy this time with your family and commend care to those in need. Happy Thanksgiving.”
“I hope that your Thanksgiving is filled with great times and great food,” said Congressman Bradley Byrne, R-Montrose, on social media. “Should you have any questions about how to cook your turkey, be sure to call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854.”The Whitehouse gave Americans the ability to vote online on which turkey, Peas or Carrots, would receive the traditional Thanksgiving pardon and which one would not. The American people voted for Peas; but President Donald Trump has pardoned both.
“This is a time for Americans to unite together in a spirit of love, understanding, unity, and joy, as one very proud American family,” President Trump said afterwards.
