Obama Family Spends Quiet Thanksgiving At White House

President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and daughters Sasha and Malia will stay at the White House and celebrate a quiet Thanksgiving this year.

Camp David has always been a popular holiday destination for past Presidents, but the Obamas decided to enjoy the comforts of home.

The First Family is spending the occasion in Washington, D.C., and they will have a private dinner this evening.

The list of guests that will join the Obamas has not been disclosed publicly.

President Obama, his family, and guests will enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving feast. The menu includes turkey, honey-baked ham, cornbread stuffing, oyster stuffing, greens, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and dinner rolls.

For dessert, there will be a choice of huckleberry pie, pecan pie, chocolate cream pie, sweet potato pie, banana cream pie or coconut cream pie, according to The Huffington Post.

Meanwhile, President Obama made the 2013 Thanksgiving Proclamation. Barack Obama began the declaration by stating:

“Thanksgiving offers each of us the chance to count our many blessings — the freedoms we enjoy, the time we spend with loved ones, the brave men and women who defend our Nation at home and abroad. This tradition reminds us that no matter what our background or beliefs, no matter who we are or who we love, at our core we are first and foremost Americans.”

The National Thanksgiving Proclamation is a tradition that announced Thanksgiving as a day of giving thanks in America. The first President of the United States, George Washington, made the original proclamation on October 3, 1789 in New York City.

President Obama’s declaration continues:

“Our annual celebration has roots in centuries-old colonial customs. When we gather around the table, we follow the example of the Pilgrims and Wampanoags, who shared the fruits of a successful harvest nearly 400 years ago. When we offer our thanks, we mirror those who set aside a day of prayer.

“This Thanksgiving Day, let us forge deeper connections with our loved ones. Let us extend our gratitude and our compassion. And let us lift each other up and recognize, in the oldest spirit of this tradition, that we rise or fall as one Nation, under God.”

The full text of the 2013 Thanksgiving Proclamation signed by President Barack Obama on November 26, the 238th year of Independence for the United States, can be read here.