85R4575 JCD-D
By: Price H.R. No. 2296
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Americans across the land are gathering on
Thanksgiving, November 23, 2017, to reflect on the many blessings
the year has brought; and
WHEREAS, The history of this cherished celebration spans
nearly four centuries, tracing its roots back to 1620; met by a
harsh New England winter that year, the struggling European
settlers at Plymouth Rock received welcome assistance from the
indigenous people, who taught them vital farming and survival
techniques; in a display of gratitude toward God for answering
their prayers for help, the Pilgrims held a three-day feast, and
together with their Native American neighbors, they enjoyed the
fruits of a bountiful harvest; and
WHEREAS, The Thanksgiving holiday was first officially
observed more than 150 years later, soon after the founding fathers
established this great nation; in George Washington's first
presidential proclamation in 1789, he enacted a day of thanksgiving
and prayer to acknowledge the "many signal favors of Almighty God"
that had been bestowed on the American people; and
WHEREAS, Decades later, in the tumultuous days of the Civil
War, President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Thanksgiving Day
proclamation that would set the standard for every president that
followed; in his now famous speech, he urged Americans to call on
"the Almighty hand" to heal the union and implored the people to
remember the source from which "the blessings of fruitful fields
and healthful skies" come; and
WHEREAS, Today, the Thanksgiving holiday, observed each year
on the fourth Thursday in November, is one of our most dearly held
traditions, offering an opportunity to join with family and friends
in expressing appreciation for the many gifts of the past year; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate Thanksgiving 2017.