Doing Thanksgiving Differently This Year

Doing Thanksgiving Differently This Year!

Like a lot of people, I think the holiday season is truly the “most wonderful time of the year”.   A huge part of that are the traditions shared with family and friends.

Unfortunately, thanks to COVID-19, there’ll be nothing traditional about how we celebrate in 2020!  Who’d have thought way back in March that we’d be asked to radically alter our plans for the one day of the year when it’s socially acceptable to wear your stretchy pie-eating pants?

In fact, as I’m writing this, the CDC is suggesting it may be safest to skip this year’s family holiday gathering altogether.  (Cue the happy-dance music for turkeys everywhere!)

Although the CDC stated that the decision to assemble like we used to is a “personal one”, in order to protect the people we care about, the responsible thing to do is heed their advice.

Think about it, if we choose to visit a friend or relative’s home for Thanksgiving, we’re being encouraged to bring our own food, dishes and utensils.  (Doesn’t this sound like a lot of extra work? Also, it definitely defeats the purpose of gathering together to share a special meal, since there’s really no “sharing” being done.)

And, then there are the safety tips the CDC recommends if we do go rogue and host a gathering in our homes. Frankly, it was after studying these (and the application thereof), that my husband James and I politely “uninvited” non-immediate family members from our celebration this year.

If you’ve not taken these tips into consideration for your own Thanksgiving plans, please check them out—along with our reasons for scaling everything down:

• Wear a mask – This one’s nothing new—I know all of us are growing mask-weary.  As it pertains to Thanksgiving, I’m hoping this means unless you’re in the active act of eating or drinking—which, (besides being thankful) is kind of the reason we’re getting together in the first place, right?

• Maintain at least six feet of distance from people who don’t live with you – Hmm. After mulling this one over for a couple of moments, I decided one interesting way to accomplish this might be to have guests eat their turkey and dressing in different rooms of our house.  Gramps could continue to dine in his place of honor at the dining room table;  Aunt Sherry in the living room; and friends or neighbors spread throughout the bedrooms. In the spirit of the season, you and those in your immediate household should take their plates to the bathroom. (I know there’s at least one seat in there!)‍‍‍

• ‍Eat outside – Well, this can’t happen if it’s raining or freezing cold on November 26th!

• Wash your hands often – I don’t know about you, but between all the hand sanitizer and soap and water, my skin is really dried out. Is it possible to wash them any more than I’m already scrubbing them? Besides, what about that line at the sink since we have to stay six-feet from the person in front of us? We might have to consider placing markers on the kitchen floor so people know where to stand.
  

Honestly, I’m looking at all this stuff and I’m beginning to think that 2020 might be the year for a “Phone-It-In Thanksgiving”.  This means saying ta-ta to the turkey and dialing Dominos for a large pepperoni pizza.  And, while I’m on the phone, I’ll also reach out to the folks we’d normally have beside us at our dining room table and we can reminisce about Thanksgivings past and pray that next year we’ll be celebrating together once again.

In the grand scheme of things, is it really that big of a sacrifice to change things up a bit for Thanksgiving 2020?  After all, we still have so much to be grateful for—including the health and well-being of those we hold dear.