A couple from Iran wanted a place to go for Thanksgiving. What happened next warmed my heart.

People in this city often get a bad rap.

But Philadelphians can be some of the most welcoming and down-to-earth people in the country. That’s the vibe I got when I moved to the city from Washington during the early 1990s. All these years later, I still feel the same way.

Recently, I was reminded of just how genuine residents of this city can be after I stumbled across a post on Nextdoor from a former Drexel University graduate student. Hamid Golshani, who’s originally from Iran but now lives in North Philadelphia, asked if anyone knew how he and his wife could “celebrate Thanksgiving with an American family.”

He added that he didn’t want to be “rude” by seeking an invite. “We don’t mind paying our share etc. We would just like to know what Thanksgiving is all about,” Golshani, who works for a medical device company in Exton, Chester County, wrote.

As I read his post, I wondered: In this climate — when our city is facing some of its biggest challenges, the nation is as deeply divided as its ever been, and the world is facing two wars with global implications — would any strangers invite Golshani and his wife (Nadia Niknami, a 35-year-old graduate student studying cybersecurity at Temple University) to their Thanksgiving dinner?

I shouldn’t have worried. As of Monday, more than 100 people had liked his post, and about half as many had replied with advice or invited him over. One woman suggested that he begin the day by watching the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade on the Parkway: “It is a fun tradition to experience with other Philadelphians.”

One of the first invitations came from a Fairmount resident who wrote, “You and your family would also be welcome at our Thanksgiving — it would just be my wife and me — so not a large family gathering if that is what you’re looking for … Both of our families are too far away to visit for the holiday, but I like to cook the big meal and it is always too much food for us!”

Another respondent wrote, in part, “I am American and I always have a very traditional Thanksgiving and invite several international students. So far this year I will have Indian, Colombian, & Chinese guests … If you are still looking, PM me.”

A West Philadelphia resident replied to Golshani’s post: “It is just me & my teen daughter … Our apt is very tiny but you are more than welcome!”

Reading the responses brought tears to my eyes. It’s hard to know how many of these invitations were authentic, but watching strangers offer to open their homes to someone from another country on Thanksgiving reminded me of what I love most about the holiday. The most American of commemorations is all about family and friends coming together to enjoy good food and give thanks for their blessings.

I reached out to Golshani to see if he was actually serious when he asked for a Thanksgiving invitation. When I asked about his interest in our annual holiday, Golshani, 38, gave a simple reason: “My friends say a lot of good things about this celebration.”

Golshani’s story — and the response he got from other Philadelphians — reminds me of the Arizona grandmother who accidentally invited a stranger to her home for Thanksgiving in 2016. Wanda Dench had intended to text her 24-year-old grandson and invite him over, but instead she reached Jamal Hinton, a 17-year-old high school senior, by mistake. They messaged back and forth a bit discussing the mix-up before Hinton asked if he could still come over. Dench, now 65, responded, “Of course you can. That’s what grandmas do … feed everyone.”

The two have been celebrating the holiday together every year since. Their saga is the inspiration for a Netflix film about their unlikely friendship. But here’s the thing: This beautiful story could just as easily have happened in the City of Brotherly Love.

Golshani’s plans are all set now. He has accepted a Thanksgiving dinner invitation from a friend of a friend, who is also from Iran. I smiled when I got his email. I knew someone would come through for him.

On a day when so many of us seek out reminders of home, it’s perhaps fitting that Golshani will end up celebrating Thanksgiving with someone from his native Iran. Those bonds, those connections, may end up being the best way for Golshani to find his own meaning of the holiday after all.