English subtitles for clip: File:Remarks by President Obama at Lighting of National Christmas Tree - 2015.webm

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The President:
Hello, everybody!

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(applause)

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Happy Holidays!

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You know my crew, Malia,
Sasha, Michelle, Grandma.

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Happy Holidays to Reese,
and everyone here tonight,

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and everyone
watching at home.

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Now, let's begin the process
of lighting the tree.

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(applause)

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We got a countdown going on,
we're going to start at 5,

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here we go.

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5.

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4.

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3.

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2.

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1.

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(applause)

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Merry Christmas, everybody!

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(music)

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Mrs. Obama: Well,
hello there.

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Miss Piggy: Hello,
hello Michelle.

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Mrs. Obama: Hi, Miss Piggy.

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How are you?

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Miss Piggy: Good.

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Well, you look fabulous.

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Mrs. Obama: Thank
you, so do you.

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You look amazing.

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Miss Piggy: Almost as
fabulous as me, yes.

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Mrs. Obama: Yes.

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Miss Piggy: Yes, I
was going to say that.

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Mrs. Obama: You look great.

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Miss Piggy: And
you know what?

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It's all thanks to your
Let's Move campaign.

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I've been working out.

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Mrs. Obama: That's good.

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Miss Piggy: Eating healthy.

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Mrs. Obama: That's good.

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Well, I'm very proud
of you, Miss Piggy.

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Miss Piggy: Yeah.

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But you are going to have
cake later at this event, right?

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Mrs. Obama: We'll
just skip that.

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Miss Piggy: Alright.

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Mrs. Obama: But now we're
going to read a story here.

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You guys ready for that?

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Audience: Yes.

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Mrs. Obama: Alright.

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Are you ready, Miss Piggy?

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Miss Piggy: Oh, I am.

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Yes.

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Mrs. Obama: Okay.

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We're going to read " 'Twas
the Night Before Christmas."

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Are you ready?

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Miss Piggy: Yes,
let's start.

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Go ahead.

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Mrs. Obama: 'Twas the
night before Christmas,

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when all through the house

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Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

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Miss Piggy: The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

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In hopes that St. Nicholas
soon would be there;

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Mrs. Obama: The children
were nestled all snug in

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their beds;

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While visions of
sugar-plums

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danced in their heads;

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And mamma in her
'kerchief, and I in my cap,

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Had just settled our brains
for a long winter's nap,

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Miss Piggy: When out on
the lawn there arose such a

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clatter, I sprang from my
bed to see what was the matter.

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Mrs. Obama: Away to the
window I flew like a flash,

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Tore open the shutters
and threw up the sash.

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The moon on the breast
of the new-fallen snow,

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Gave a lustre of midday
to objects below,

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Miss Piggy: When what to my
wondering eyes did appear,

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But a miniature sleigh
and eight tiny rein-deer,

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Mrs. Obama: With a little
old driver so lively and quick,

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I knew in a moment
he must be St. Nick.

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Miss Piggy: More rapid than
eagles his coursers they came,

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And he
whistled, and shouted,

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and called them by
name: "Now, Dasher!

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now, Dancer!

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now Prancer and Vixen!

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On, Comet!

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on, Cupid!

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on, Donner and Blitzen!"

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Mrs. Obama: Excellent
ready, Miss Piggy.

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Miss Piggy: Thank you.

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Mrs. Obama: "To the
top of the porch!

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to the top of the wall!

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Now dash away!

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dash away!

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dash away all!"

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As leaves that before
the wild hurricane fly,

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When they meet with an
obstacle, mount to the sky;

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Miss Piggy: You're
not bad either.

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Mrs. Obama: Thank you.

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Miss Piggy: So up to the
housetop the coursers they flew

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With the
sleigh full of toys,

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and St. Nicholas too --

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Mrs. Obama: And then,

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in a twinkling, I heard on
the roof

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The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

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As I drew in my head,
and was turning around,

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Down the chimney St.
Nicholas came with a bound.

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Miss Piggy: He was
dressed all in fur,

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from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all

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tarnished with
ashes and soot;

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Mrs. Obama: A bundle of toys
he had flung on his back,

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And he looked like a pedler
just opening his pack.

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His eyes-how they twinkled!

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his dimples, how merry!

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His cheeks were like roses,
his nose like a cherry!

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Miss Piggy: His droll little
mouth was drawn up like a

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bow, And the beard on his
chin was as white as the

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snow; Mrs. Obama: The stump
of a pipe he held tight in

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his teeth, And the smoke,
it encircled his head like a

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wreath; Miss Piggy: He had
a broad face and a little

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round belly That
shook when he laughed,

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like a bowl full of jelly.

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He was chubby and plump,
a right jolly old elf,

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And I laughed when I saw
him, in spite of myself;

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Mrs. Obama: A wink of his
eye and a twist of his head

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Soon gave me to know I
had nothing to dread;

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Miss Piggy: He
spoke not a word,

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but went straight
to his work,

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And filled all
the stockings;

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then turned with a jerk, And
laying his finger aside of

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his nose, And giving a nod,
up the chimney he rose;

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Mrs. Obama: He
sprang to his sleigh,

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to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like

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the down of a thistle.

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Miss Piggy: But I
heard him exclaim,

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ere he drove out of sight-
"Merry Christmas to all,

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and to all a good night!"

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(applause)

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Mrs. Obama: High
five, Miss Piggy.

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Low five.

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Way to go.

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Happy Holidays!

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Miss Piggy: Merry Christmas!

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The President: Merry
Christmas everybody!

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Thank you, Betty, for
that introduction,

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for your extraordinary
service as one of our park

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rangers, and for all
of your -- and your

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great-grandmother's --
contributions to this country.

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Please give Betty a
big round of applause.

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(applause)

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I want tips from Betty on
how I can look that good at 94.

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(applause)

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I also want to thank Betty's
boss, Jonathan Jarvis,

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and for everybody from the
National Park Service and

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the National Park Foundation
for everything that they do

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to protect and care for
America's great outdoors --

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and for helping us "find our
park" this year and every year.

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And thank you to Reese
Witherspoon and each of

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tonight's outstanding
performers.

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(applause)

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Now, this is, of course, the
most wonderful time of the year.

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But we would be remiss not
to take a moment to remember

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our fellow Americans whose
hearts are heavy tonight --

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who grieve for loved
ones, especially

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in San Bernardino, California.

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Their loss is our loss, too,
for

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we're all one American family.

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We look out for each other
in good times, and in bad.

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And they should know that
all of us care about them

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this holiday season.

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They're in our thoughts,
they're in our prayers,

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and we send them our love.

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Now, this is the 93rd time
Americans have gathered by

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the White House to light
the National Christmas Tree.

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And as always, this tree
is not alone -- all across

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America, in living rooms,
and offices, churches,

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and town squares, families
and neighbors are gathering

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to decorate trees of their
own and get into

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the holiday spirit.

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It's a chance to come
together and to focus on

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what really matters -- the
simple gifts of family

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and friends.

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The wonder and hope
in a child's eye.

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And, of course, the spirit
of giving and compassion

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that can help all of us find
new meaning

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in the world around us.

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That's the message of the
child whose birth families

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like mine celebrate on
Christmas -- a prince born

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in a stable who taught us
that we should love our

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neighbors as ourselves; and
that we are our brothers'

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keeper and our
sisters' keepers;

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that we should feed the
hungry, visit the sick,

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welcome the stranger.

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These are the lessons
of Jesus Christ.

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But they're also the bedrock
values of all faiths --

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values to be cherished and
embraced not only during the

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holidays, but to be
practiced in our daily lives.

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So during this
holiday season,

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let's come together as
brothers and sisters around

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the humanity that we share.

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Let's reach out to those
who can use a hand.

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Let's summon the spirit of
togetherness that's always

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helped to kindle America's
shining example to the world.

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And let's keep in our
prayers those Americans who

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protect that ideal,
especially those stationed

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far from home
during the holidays.

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Our men and women in uniform
and their families sacrifice

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so much for us.

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And it's because of them
that we can celebrate

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freely, that we can
worship as we please,

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that we can come together on
a night like this -- strong,

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and united, and free.

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So on behalf of Michelle,
and Malia, and Sasha,

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and Grandma, and
Bo and Sunny,

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happy holiday to all of you.

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(applause)

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May God bless you all, and
may God bless

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the United States of America.

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Thank you very much.

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(applause)

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(music)

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The President: Merry
Christmas, everybody!

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(music)

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(applause)

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It's Santa Claus!

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Should we do a little
Jingle Bells here?

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Reese Witherspoon: I think
it's time for a round

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of Jingle Bells.

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Everybody can sing along.

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Everybody knows the words.

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(music)

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Jingle bells, jingle bells

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Jingle all the way

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Oh, what fun it is to ride

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In a one horse open sleigh

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Jingle bells, jingle bells

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Jingle all the way

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Oh, what fun it is to ride

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In a one horse open sleigh

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Dashing through the snow

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In a one horse open sleigh

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O'er the fields we go,

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Laughing all the way

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Bells on bob tail ring, making spirits bright

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What fun it is to ride and sing

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A sleighing
song tonight

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Jingle bells, jingle bells

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Jingle all the way

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Oh, what fun it is to ride

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In a one horse open sleigh

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Jingle bells, jingle bells

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Jingle all the way

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Oh, what fun it is to ride

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In a one horse open sleigh

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(music)