At Christmas we celebrate “the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” President Trump declared at the annual tree-lighting ceremony in Washington, D.C. He spoke about the real reason for the Christmas season after Melania lit the tree in President’s Park.

Since the earliest days of our nation, he said, Americans “have known Christmas is a time for prayer and worship.” He continued:

For Christians, this is a holy season, the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Christmas story begins 2,000 years ago with a mother, a father, their baby son and the most extraordinary gift of all, the gift of God’s love for all of humanity.

History Forever Changed

The birth of Jesus and his life “forever changed the course of human history.” The true joy at Christmas isn’t what we have but who we are as children of God. 

Each and every year, at Christmas time we recognize that the real spirit of Christmas is not what we have, it’s about who we are — each one of us is a child of God. That is the true source of joy this time of the year. That is what makes every Christmas merry. And that is what we remember at today’s beautiful ceremony that we are called to serve one another to love one another, and to pursue peace in our hearts and all throughout the world.

Calling the family the “bedrock” of American life, Trump asked for God’s blessings for families and the nation. He concluded, “We pray that our country will be a place where every child knows a home filled with love, a community rich with hope, and a nation blessed with faith. God bless you and God bless the United States of America. Merry Christmas everybody!”

Watch: