Thanksgiving has passed, and we are now officially into the Holiday Season. Going all the way back to the first Thanksgiving proclamation by Abraham Lincoln, politicians have used the holiday to try to inspire the nation. When you look at Trump's own Thanksgiving proclamation, you will see a very presidential message that is worthy of his predecessors. Trump invoked George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. He praised “250 glorious years of American independence”. He also offered “endless gratitude to Almighty God for His love, grace, and infinite blessings”.  On paper, it was a very inspiring message worthy of echoing the words of Lincoln’s call. Was this the real message that Trump wanted to convey, or was it the message that the White House writers wanted the press to be reporting to the country and the world? When it comes to Trump, there is the Message from the White House, and then there is the message that he posts on social media. Trump's tone on social media is often very different from the White House’s official statement. On his Truth Social posts for Thanksgiving, he claimed that immigrants  “mostly come from prisons, gangs, cartels, or welfare rolls. He promised to “permanently pause immigration from all Third World Countries” and denaturalize migrants deemed “not a net asset”. Does he intend to strip naturalized immigrants of their citizenship? I wouldn’t put anything past that man.

Lincoln's 1863 proclamation came at a moment of sorrow. The Battle of Gettysburg had just claimed thousands of lives. Lincoln insisted Americans recognize their blessings, “fruitful fields and healthful skies,” “peace with foreign nations”, and “endurance of democratic institutions”. Thanksgiving to Lincoln was not just one huge feast. It was a ritual of solidarity, a reminder that democracy requires shared gratitude even in times of division. His words helped make Thanksgiving the national holiday we have today, one embedded in the civic fabric of the United States.

Trump’s proclamation followed the tradition. It invoked history, faith, and heritage, calling on all Americans to gather and give thanks. His social media posts told a completely different story. They were combative, exclusionary, and partisan. He called the Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, a “retard” which is a very offensive term that should never be used. Threats against immigration and political insults should not be part of any president's Thanksgiving message. Instead of trying to heal a divided nation, he was touting his tariffs, declaring that “we have all the cards”. Trump had a dual message: unity in his proclamation, division in his social media posts.

The contrast between Lincoln and Trump could not be greater. Civic messages like Thanksgiving were once used to promote unity. Now they are increasingly used to weaponize the narrative and for a greater partisan divide. This shift matters. Civic rituals are not trivial; they are the glue that of democratic life together. When leaders use them to divide, they erode the very myths that sustain national unity. America is not in a civil war, but it is deeply divided. Trust in our government is very low. Political rhetoric is increasingly violent. Holidays like Thanksgiving are more than symbolic. They are a test of whether leaders will reinforce unity or cause more division. Lincoln’s proclamation reminds us that even in a crisis, leaders can call for gratitude and solidarity. Trump’s 2025 message shows how easily those rituals can be repurposed for political gain. The stakes are high: if civic rituals lose their unifying power, democracy itself becomes more fragile.

The lesson is clear. Civic rituals must be reclaimed as spaces of unity. Leaders should resist the temptation to weaponize holidays for partisan battles. Citizens must demand more. Those who continue to divide and erode our democracy must be voted out. If Lincoln could call for unity during a civil war, surely, we can demand the same in times of political strife. Thanksgiving should remind us that democracy is not just about elections and policies. It is about shared gratitude, collective resilience, and willingness to see beyond division. The holiday is a mirror of our political soul, and right now our soul as a country looks pretty dark.

Thanksgiving is the start of the “Holiday Season”, and by the looks of it, it is going to be a long and conflicted season. Our next Holiday is Christmas, when much of the country celebrates the birth of Jesus, but not the entire nation. It is supposed to be a time of peace on earth and goodwill to men. It is supposed to be a time of year where we celebrate the birth of not only a child but also the powerful message that he brings to the world. Many of us will decorate our houses with pretty lights and decorate trees to help with the festive spirit. Will we hear that message that Christ was supposed to have brought to the world, or will we continue to be divided by statements like “Put Christ back in Christmas,” which is only meant to attack and divide. Will we argue about whether to say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays,” or will we greet everyone with a smile, no matter what they call the season? Will we continue to use the Holidays to divide or to unify with the message of “peace on earth and goodwill to men”?