A First Real Thanksgiving — Welcomed With Open Arms

Yesterday, my husband and I were invited to celebrate American Thanksgiving.

It is our third year living in the United States—but the first time we experienced this holiday with Americans, in an American home. It felt like stepping into something new and meaningful.

With our host, Barbara.

As a German, I grew up with Erntedankfest—a church celebration of gratitude. At home, we always prayed before meals to say thank you, so gratitude was part of my daily life. Experiencing Thanksgiving felt like an extension of that tradition—something familiar, yet expanded in a beautifully human way.

My colleague invited us to join her sister and brother-in-law in Pound Ridge, upstate New York. The drive north already felt like entering a different world—quiet forests, soft November light, and the peaceful stillness of the woods.

When the front door opened, we were greeted by two people we had never met before—yet they welcomed us with open arms, warm smiles, and the kind of effortless hospitality that needs no explanation. We stepped into a home filled with light, laughter, and the smells of a true Thanksgiving feast: honey-glazed turkey, smoked turkey, mac and cheese, pecan pie, pumpkin dishes… all made with love and care.

But beyond the beauty of the table and the delicious food, what stayed with me most was the spirit of the evening: A spirit of generosity. Of sharing. Of genuine openness without expecting anything in return.

As a newcomer to this country, I felt deeply moved. It reminded me that belonging is not always formed through long relationships—sometimes it begins in a single moment of kindness, in a home where people simply say, “You are welcome here.”

Yesterday, I learned that Thanksgiving is not just a holiday. It is an attitude of the heart. A practice of gratitude lived out in community. A reminder that traditions can grow and expand as we move through life.

And I am grateful—grateful for the invitation, for the warmth, and for the gentle truth that even far away from home, new traditions can take root.