Thanksgiving in Hungary

Thanksgiving in Hungary



This morning, our church celebrated Thanksgiving as it always does on the anniversary of its birth. The pastor from the church in Debrecen gave the sermon. The fruits, vegetables, drink and jams were arranged in a cornucopia of sorts, donated by the members of the congregation to the pastor and his congregation in Debrecen. Somewhere in my reading this afternoon about the Anabaptists and Puritans and Thanksgiving, the author suggested that Thanksgiving was a celebration of God's mercy.  Being rooted in God's mercy was the theme of the sermon this morning which covered many Scriptural texts, the first being from Exodus 15, when the Israelites tested the Lord and Meribah, complaining about not having any water.

I have long been trying to make the connection between American Thanksgiving as it is celebrated today and the Thanksgiving celebrated in my church here in Hungary. In a video produced by the History channel (which I have used in my classes at the Vocational School), the narrator suggests that Thanksgiving was a religious service among the Puritan settlers. This morning, when the pastor made a comment about the American Thanksgiving having Anabaptist roots, I did some more digging, looking for a connection between Hungary and the Anabaptist movement. There were some who fled to Hungary from Austria before being pushed farther away into Transylvania and Russia, eventually settling in North Dakota in the 19th Century (Bollakus, 2000).

Our fellowship refreshment table had more finger foods than usual, but that was because of the special occasion. There was no turkey or meet of any kind, though there was more fruit than usual. It was primarily heaped with cookies, cakes, and breads. A couple of baskets bore the label "lactose free" as many of the children in our church, especially the toddlers are allergic to milk. 

In my readings, I ran across a reference that one of the earlier Thanksgivings in America the wealthier members of the church hosted a feast for the poorer members (Smith, 2003).  While this may have been the precursor to food drives in American schools and churches to replenish the food pantries to feed the less fortunate, I do not think that was the motive for our members to share the five boxes of food that they gave to the pastor. The church Thanksgiving was a celebration of God's blessing shared with a pastor and congregation who has generously shared of themselves throughout the year.

This year, as I've shared Thanksgiving with my students at the university, high school, and vocational high school, I have talked about the food and the history of the holiday. On Tuesday, I will be making pumpkin pie with the 9th graders, pumpkin pie in a cup with 10th graders, and a apple salad with dried cranberries with the 11th graders. From YouTube and the internet, I have learned that Sara Josepha Hale wrote letters to governors and presidents for 36 years petitioning for a national holiday of Thanksgiving. It was her publication of suggested Thanksgiving recipes that introduced turkey, cranberries, and pumpkin pie to the traditional Thanksgiving menu. From my Hungarian brothers and sisters at church, I have been reminded of the true spirit of Thanksgiving: gratitude for the blessing and mercy that God has so bountifully bestowed. 


Bollokus, Eniko (2000) Whether in Pennsylvania or Transylvania we have been united concerning the separation: On the common roots and different fates of of Amish and Haban Anabaptists. Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies 6 (2): 197-211 https://www.jstor.org/stable/41274105

Mrs. Hale's New Cookbook (1857). Mrs. Hale's Cranberry Sauce. https://foodiepilgrim.com/content/mrs-hales-cranberry-sauce 

Smith, A. (2003). The first Thanksgiving. Gastronomica 3(4). 79-85. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/gfc.2003.3.4.79

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