US President Joe Biden on Thursday wished Americans a happy and “closer-to-normal” Thanksgiving, the second celebrated in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a video message from the White House, Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said this year’s Thanksgiving celebrations were especially meaningful after last year’s family separations due to the pandemic.

“This is always a special time in America. But this year, the blessings of Thanksgiving are especially meaningful,” said the President.

“As we give thanks for what we have, we also keep in our hearts those who we lost, and those who have lost so much. And those who have an empty seat at their kitchen table or their dining room table this year because of this virus or another cruel twist of fate or accident. We pray for them,” he added.

The First Lady said, “After being apart last year, we have a new appreciation for those little moments we can’t plan or replicate. The music of laughter in a warm, full kitchen, the thump of small feet making big sounds, the circle of faces crowded around our dining room table, glowing in the candlelight.”