By Krisztina Géczi
Thanksgiving is a moment in the year when we pause, breathe, and remind ourselves of the power of gratitude. The American holiday dates back hundreds of years and remains highly cherished, with family at its center. Here at McDaniel, our small community offers a second family to its students.
In 2024, Kristóf Kócs and Nicholas Trunecz, then presidents of the Student Advisory Council (SAC), had the bright idea to celebrate this American holiday in our American college in the heart of Europe. As their successors, Anna Segesvári and I were fortunate enough to organize the Second Annual Thanksgiving Gala. This celebration has grown into one of the biggest and most popular events at the college, welcoming around 100 people. It is an evening where students, professors, and alumni can meet new faces and get to know one another outside the classroom. Each semester, we have a dozen to two dozen American Study Abroad students from our main campus in Westminster, Maryland, as well as from Gettysburg College. For them, the gala is more than an evening filled with laughter; it is a way to reconnect with their American traditions while abroad and to share the holiday with friends in the absence of their families.
Preparations for the event begin a month in advance. The dedication, planning, and countless hours of work of the SAC are woven into every detail of the evening. The decorations for the auditorium are carefully designed and set up just a day before Thanksgiving. The peer mentors are especially proud of the cardboard turkey they crafted last year, which allows participants to write their thankful notes on its feathers.
The Gala offers the attendees a wide variety of traditional Thanksgiving food, such as turkey with mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, gravy, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. The spirit of collaboration is visible from start to finish. The SAC works with staff members in ticket sales, a pre-med student serves as the photographer, and our talented student, Deniz Yeni, takes on the DJ-ing. A great addition this year was the karaoke; of course, people were shy at first, but once they warmed up, more and more joined in. The emotional highlight of the night was when Dean Frenyó joined Gettysburg student Elliot Wakefield in singing My Way by Frank Sinatra.
Stepping outside of our tiny college, the idea of gratitude celebrations exists in many countries. “In total, at least 13 countries have their own versions of Thanksgiving or similar harvest festivals, including Canada, Liberia, Germany, Japan, Grenada, Brazil, Korea, China, Ghana, India (South), Barbados, Malaysia, and more” (primarybeginnings, 2014). Interestingly, Canada celebrates its Thanksgiving in October, yet their holiday closely resembles that of the United States. In China, a form of Thanksgiving takes place in mid-August during a three-day feast called the Chung Chiu Moon Festival. “Family and friends share mooncakes… to signify unity and peace to come” (primarybeginnings, 2014).
I believe gratitude is important, no matter where we are from and no matter how we express it. Multicultural communities are rich but complex. Gratitude matters even more in multicultural environments because it is a universal language, we all understand. Everyone knows what it feels like to be appreciated and to appreciate those around you. Feeling seen and valued becomes especially meaningful when you are far from home or navigating a new culture. Gratitude acknowledges contributions that come because of someone’s culture, not despite it. That recognition forms the foundation of our community. The essence of Thanksgiving reminds us that gratitude is not passive; it is active. It is a choice we make every day to recognize the good, to appreciate the people in our lives, and to contribute something positive to the spaces we share. This gala is a celebration of that choice.
Photos by FJ & Ali György
FJ’s Instagram: miles4med
