Upcoming Holiday Plans Might Be Changed Due To COVID

Thanksgiving in 2020

This year, undoubtly, Thanksgiving dinner will look a little different. COVID-19 will likely shut down or make events avalible to only watch on tv for Thanksgiving, such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. The CDC has just let out new guidelines for holiday celebrations and small gatherings. They recommend limiting the number of people coming to these gatherings and only allowing immediate family members who currently do not have symptoms of COVID-19. Those who are waiting for test results, or are at an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 should not attend. During Thanksgiving, the CDC says it is best to meet in a room with good airflow or outside. They support the idea to have the host prepare each plate rather than everyone fixing it themselves and touching utensils others will touch. They also recommend wearing masks during this event and they say that guests should refrain from singing indoors and that guests should wash their hands often with soap. These regulations are to only minimize the spread of COVID-19 and not to cancel the event but rather keep attendees healthy.

I have interviewed two students, and myself, who will be celebrating Thanksgiving this year. I will be only with immediate family to celebrate the holidays and my family will likely not take all standard precautions to keep COVID-19 from spreading in my family unless we eat out. Normally during the holiday, I have a big party with extended family, but I won’t this year due to too many high-risk people being in the family. I have read the CDC guidelines for holidays and small gatherings, however, my family has not read the CDC guidelines. The first student I interviewed, was Luke Reynolds. He says his family gets together and helps cook dinner and watch football. However, this year his extended family won’t be able to come due to them being high-risk. But, he will instead have the same usual thanksgiving but just with his close family in the house. Luke says he plans on eating honey baked ham, turkey, lima beans, and rolls. Luke has not read the CDC guidelines, but he has made the proper preparations to keep the spread down by limiting it to just his close family. Luke has other precautions in his family of just washing their hands often. My second interview was Logan Woodall. He says he typically joins with his family of 16 people and eats at his grandmother’s house. His plans won’t change this holiday. He says he will be eating well this holiday with turkey, ham, and rolls being cooked by his grandmother. Logan has not read the CDC guidelines but says he won’t try to get COVID at the party. So I’d say this holiday it’s best to stay home and cook so that your close family can come and have as few people as possible touching all the utensils. I myself will be enjoying the holidays with my close family and so will these students, so stay safe this Thanksgiving and enjoy the week off as well.