Carrying Forward the Happiness of the Christmas Spirit

As I reflect on the last year and anticipate enjoying time with loved ones during the holidays, I’m filled with both gratitude and resolve.

As Americans, we have been granted an unrivaled heritage of freedom and prosperity which we now must secure for future generations.

I am deeply thankful for my family, the strong community with which we are blessed in Nebraska, and the country we call home. Despite the challenges we face, and the differences in our perspectives, the United States remains a beacon and destination for those longing for liberty and opportunity the world over.

As is my tradition, I’ve shared here one of President Reagan’s Christmas addresses. The following excerpt is from a speech he gave upon lighting the national Christmas tree in 1985. As they so often do, his words ring true today, capturing well the joy and goodwill of the holiday season.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all Nebraskans.

President Ronald Reagan
Remarks on Lighting the National Christmas Tree (excerpt)
December 12, 1985

My fellow Americans, thank you for joining Nancy and me on this festive evening. The menorah stands lighted in Lafayette Park, for this is also the time of Hanukkah, and this season is rich in the meaning of our Judeo-Christian tradition. In a moment we'll be lighting the National Christmas Tree, carrying forward what is now a 62-year tradition first begun by Calvin Coolidge.

Tonight, we're drawn in warmth to one another as we reflect upon the deeply holy meaning of the miracle we shall soon celebrate…When we speak of Jesus and of His life, we speak of a man revered as a prophet and teacher by people of all religions, and Christians speak of someone greater—a man who was and is divine. He brought forth a power that is infinite and a promise that is eternal, a power greater than all mankind's military might, for His power is Godly love, love that can lift our hearts and soothe our sorrows and heal our wounds and drive away our fears. He promised there will never be a long night that does not end. He promised to deliver us from dark torment and tragedy into the warming sunlight of human happiness, and beyond that, into paradise. He's never been a halfway giver; His generosity is pure and perfect and sure.

This, then, expresses the true meaning of Christmas. If each of us could give but a fraction to one another of what He gave to the whole human family, how many hearts could heal, how much sorrow and pain could be driven away? There's still time for joy and gladness to touch a sad and lonely soul, still time to feed a hungry child, to wrap a present for a kind old man feeling forlorn and afraid, and to reach out to an abandoned mother raising children on her own. There's still time to remember our Armed Forces, to express our profound gratitude to those keeping watch on faraway frontiers of freedom, and to redouble our energies to account for our MIA's. They are not and never will be forgotten…

Let us reach out tonight to every person who is persecuted; let us embrace and comfort, support and love them. Let us come together as one family under the fatherhood of God, binding ourselves in a communion of hearts, for tonight and tomorrow and for all time. May we give thanks for an America abundantly blessed, for a nation united, free, and at peace. May we carry forward the happiness of the Christmas spirit as the guiding star of our endeavors 365 days a year. And as we light this magnificent tree, may all the youthful hope and joy of America light up the heavens and make the angels sing.

Merry Christmas, and God bless you all. And now we're going to light the tree…

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