“Had No Idea What Thanksgiving Was”: Arnold Schwarzenegger Recalls How an American Stranger Changed the Meaning of Festival for Him in Early Days

Arnold Schwarzenegger, a household name today, was once just an immigrant with no clue about his new country. Schwarzenegger was born and brought up in a small town in Austria. He moved to the USA in October 1968 when he was 21.

Speaking little English and unaware of one of the biggest annual holidays, Schwarzenegger found himself alone on Thanksgiving. The bodybuilder, actor, model, and politician recently shared a Thanksgiving experience in an interview.

An incident that gave meaning to Thanksgiving

Schwarzenegger took over Instagram to share his experience when he first came to the US just one week before Thanksgiving. He was invited to celebrate Thanksgiving by someone at his gym despite being a foreigner who barely understood English.

Even though Schwarzenegger said, “I had no idea what Thanksgiving was,” he still decided to spend the holiday with the man’s family. Arnold Schwarzenegger received one of his house’s most opulent turkey dinners and desserts. Arnold said he would never forget that since it was one of the most generous experiences he had ever encountered. He said, “Then I didn’t know what Thanksgiving was, but now it has a special meaning because of that.”

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He wrote, “Happy Thanksgiving! Think about everything you have to be grateful for today, and then take that energy and give something back.” Arnold now associates Thanksgiving with special meaning due to his encounter. The 75-year-old actor now goes above and above to assist the underprivileged and feed as many people as possible.

Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to give back to the society

Arnold Schwarzenegger, who grew up without necessities, now runs charities for the less privileged sections of society. One of Schwarzenegger’s most famous charities is After-School All-Stars, founded in 2002.

Arnold founded the foundation with the intention of giving students who couldn’t afford them access to after-school programs. Every year, the group improves the academic and after-school lives of close to 90,000 children.

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So, what do you think about the impact of small acts of generosity on people’s lives? Tell us in the comments!