How to Celebrate Thanksgiving During COVID-19

Thanksgiving will be celebrated differently this year given the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC, the Center for Disease Control and Protection, has advised Americans “to consider how your holiday plans can be modified to reduce the spread of COVID to keep your friends, families, and communities healthy and safe.” With that in mind, any Thanksgiving preparation this year will need to be more planned out than usual, incorporating social distancing, video calls, and face mask-wearing. 

Thanksgiving 2020 doesn’t need to be and shouldn’t be cancelled. With the pandemic having been the center of attention since March, an opportunity to spend time – even virtually – with family, friends, and neighbors is more important than entirely skipping all the fun festivities.  Keep your Thanksgiving traditions alive this year (and maybe create new ones!) with this guide on how to celebrate Thanksgiving during COVID! 

Put Together the Guest List

Your guest list for this year’s Thanksgiving will be somewhat shorter. As much as we would like to invite every single member of our family, doing so will increase the risk of infection among everyone present. Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, insists that “What we don’t want is five generations of people at some big table, with everybody bumping elbows and passing food to each other.” Review your guest list and consider leaving out those who are elderly or otherwise vulnerable in another way. Ideally, you should restrict your invitations to those who have kept their social contacts to a minimum. 

Fortunately, the distribution of invitations is something that has not been compromised by the pandemic, and Thanksgiving invitations are plentiful on Zazzle. However, if you are short on time, or suspect that your mail will be delayed, digital invitations work equally as well. Ecards and Zoom calls have been the hallmarks of quarantine thus far, and our virtual invitations will allow you to safely welcome guests to your online meeting room. If there are web links that you would like to share with your guests – such as a Skype number or a CDC briefing – you can include these in your message, as well as instructions about how to navigate these sites, if necessary. 

Prepare for a Different Kind of Dinner

Thanksgiving dinner in 2020 does not necessarily need to be in person, if handled correctly. Instead of inviting multiple families into your house, set up a video chat, and cook, serve, and eat the dinner simultaneously. Although you might not be physically in each other’s company, the conversation – as well as the drinks and gravy – can still be allowed to flow. For maximum continuity, you can trade recipes beforehand, allowing you and your virtual companions to experience the same dinner. 

Meanwhile, if you have managed to assemble a small, in-person gathering, it’s best to appoint one person as the chef or server: they may have their hands full, but it’s preferable to having everyone handling the same dishes, cutlery, and meals. Alternatively, if you’d rather not cook, then Thanksgiving is an excellent time to support local businesses and restaurants. Good Housekeeping has identified a list of more than 20 eateries, diners, and fast food restaurants that will be open on Thanksgiving (though you may need to consult their respective websites for exact opening hours and delivery options). Not only will you spare yourself the task of cooking, but you’ll be investing in your local economy! 

Stay Safe with “Social” Activities

Accentuate the holiday vibe with some fall-themed bunting or centerpieces, and equip every guest with a Thanksgiving face mask and packet of hand sanitizer.  This will encourage everyone to follow the proper safety measures. If you can’t bring guests to your house, you could also consider sending out  Thanksgiving care packages before the big day. Fill it with gifts, party supplies, or sweet treats. Your loved ones will be able to craft their own celebration from the comfort and safety of their own home.

Once dinner is over, there are a number of ways to have socially distanced fun. Watching TV, and the likes of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, is always entertaining, even if it’s done at 2 arms’ length. While you’re watching, set up a webcam, or keep your phone or laptop at hand, and let those who are absent know what you think. If you’re not in the mood for a movie, then think about what other holiday games can be kept or adapted; board and video games, for example, involve a lot of close contact, but a quiz, game of charades, or outdoor scavenger hunt are easier to monitor.  

Unfortunately, not everyone is surrounded – even over FaceTime – by friends and family at Thanksgiving. This year, check in with elderly neighbors or those living alone, even if it’s through a phone call or a chat through the window. You could also offer to do their grocery shopping this week, or at least donate some goods to a food bank near you, ensuring that those who need help most this year will get it. 

With a little bit of research, thought, and extra preparation, it’s still possible to enjoy Thanksgiving during COVID-19. It’s an excellent opportunity to give thanks for health, safety, love and the ability to gather whether that’s in person or virtually. 

Share in the comments how you are celebrating Thanksgiving during COVID!

COVID-19 Thanksgiving FAQ

Eoin

Eoin is a Content Specialist at Zazzle in Cork. He’s recently bought a house with his fiancée, and thus most of his time these days is spent trying to keep the walls from caving in and the wolves from the door. Still, he’s always open to book, game, and movie recommendations, so if you have some, let him know: he’ll add them to a very, very long list.