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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, On December 25, 2020, many Texans will join in |
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worship and in fellowship as they celebrate the joyous occasion |
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known as Christmas; and |
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WHEREAS, Observed by Christians all across the world, |
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Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whose |
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arrival on earth is heralded as a promise of salvation for |
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humankind; after more than two millennia, Christ's example |
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continues to serve as a model of generosity and compassion and as a |
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guiding presence in the lives of countless people; and |
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WHEREAS, Although Christmas has a longstanding history in the |
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United States, the breadth of its observance has grown considerably |
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since the earliest days of our nation's founding; the Christmas |
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tradition familiar to us today arose during the 19th century, and |
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most markedly in the years of rapid industrialization following the |
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Civil War; at a time of national unrest and uncertainty, a holiday |
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reminiscent of a simpler life, suffused by the fundamental spirit |
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of peace and goodwill, offered comfort and spoke to the most fervent |
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prayers of all Americans; by 1870, the observance of Christmas had |
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become so widespread that the day was declared a national holiday; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Modern-day Christmas evokes images of families |
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gathering by the warmth of the hearth, of city streets adorned with |
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lights, of tinsel-strewn trees, and of such confections as |
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gingerbread and eggnog; many present-day customs are derived from |
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Old World forms of celebration that have been shaped, refined, and |
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interwoven with more recent practices, like the exchange of |
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presents, to yield a wealth of festivities that are definitively |
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American; and |
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WHEREAS, Amid the bustle that now attends the holidays, the |
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original significance of Christmas nonetheless reveals itself; |
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more than any other time of the year, the Christmas season calls |
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forth a heightened sense of charity, as individuals share what they |
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have to help alleviate the needs of others; the holiday also invites |
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celebrants to set aside worldly cares, enjoy the company of loved |
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ones, and rejoice in the heartening gift that is faith; and |
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WHEREAS, The simple story of a child born in a humble manger |
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has endured and inspired generations, and the scriptural lessons of |
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redemption, mercy, tolerance, and most of all, love, remain as |
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profound and transformative as ever before; as Texans share their |
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delight in this most cherished holiday and its many treasured |
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traditions, they may take to heart the virtues that define the true |
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spirit of Christmas and endeavor to carry them forward in the year |
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ahead; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate Christmas Day 2020. |