President Joe Biden notably did not include mentions of the Almighty God or Divine Providence in his Thanksgiving proclamation this year. This stands in contrast to historical traditions, where references to a higher power have been commonly featured in proclamations under past presidents.
The absence came amid the annual observance of Thanksgiving, a holiday Abraham Lincoln officially established as a national day of gratitude in 1863. Even during the turbulent Civil War, Lincoln called for recognition of blessings he attributed to divine intervention.
In his 1863 proclamation, Lincoln encouraged Americans to dedicate the last Thursday of November to thank “our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.” He emphasized these blessings were not merely human achievements but “the gracious gifts of the Most High God.” Furthermore, Lincoln urged citizens to remember the source of these benefits, cautioning against taking them for granted.
President Biden’s omission aligns with a similar approach taken by former President Barack Obama, who did not reference God in his 2016 Thanksgiving address. This contrasts with the practices of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Donald J. Trump, who all incorporated mentions of God in their proclamations.
Notably, in 2020, President Trump made both references to God and to the first American settlers who traveled across the Atlantic on the Mayflower.
“On Thanksgiving Day, we thank God for the abundant blessings in our lives. As we gather with family and friends to celebrate this season of generosity, hope, and gratitude, we commemorate America’s founding traditions of faith, family, and friendship, and give thanks for the principles of freedom, liberty, and democracy that make our country exceptional in the history of the world,” Trump wrote, adding: “This November marks 400 years since the Mayflower and its passengers faced the unknown and set sail across the Atlantic Ocean. Propelled by hope for a brighter future, these intrepid men and women endured two long months at sea, tired and hungry, to arrive in a new world full of potential.”
