Alaska News

Gov. Parnell proclaims Thanksgiving Day across Alaska (+video)

Editor's note: The following video contains a Thanksgiving Day message for 2013 from Alaska's first family, Governor Sean Parnell and First Lady Sandy Parnell. Below it is the governor's official proclamation marking our national day of thanks.

Alaska governor's official 2013 Thanksgiving Day proclamation

WHEREAS, after surviving a harsh first winter, the Pilgrims had their first successful growing season in the New World, thanks in part to the traditional knowledge imparted by members of the Wampanoag tribe and other Native Americans. Historically, we recognize the commemorative feast enjoyed together in 1621 as the "First Thanksgiving;" and

WHEREAS, President George Washington responded to a resolution of Congress by proclaiming Thursday the 26th of November 1789 to be a day of "public thanksgiving and prayer," recommending that it "be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be… rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country;" and

WHEREAS, in 1863, amidst a divided nation, President Abraham Lincoln saw the importance of observing "a day of Thanksgiving and Praise" and designated the last Thursday of November as a national holiday in his Thanksgiving Proclamation; and

WHEREAS, to this day, the celebration of Thanksgiving Day remains an important American tradition, as we give thanks for the many blessings bestowed upon us and gather with loved ones to share in a moment of grateful reflection; and

WHEREAS, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed that "in the midst of our thanksgiving, let us not be unmindful of the plight of those in many parts of the world to whom hunger is no stranger and the plight of those millions more who live without the blessings of liberty and freedom;" and

WHEREAS, today, as Alaskans, we give thanks for the prosperity of our land, the strength of our people, and we remember our fellow Alaskans in need as well as our military members serving afar.

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NOW, THEREFORE, I, Sean Parnell, Governor of the State of Alaska, do hereby proclaim November 28, 2013 as:

Thanksgiving Day

in Alaska, and encourage all Alaskans to gather with family, friends, and others in the spirit of gratitude, giving thanks for life and liberty, for life's many blessings, and to share the gifts we have been given, whether talent, time, or resources, with others.

Sean Parnell is Alaska's 10th and current governor.

The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, e-mail commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com.

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