This year has been a ride – online school for the kids, remote work for the grown-ups, quarantine. All of us have been struggling to find a bit of normalcy in all of the chaos that has been swirling around us. One way you might want to keep things normal is celebrating Thanksgiving 2020 with your family as you normally would. But how can you celebrate in a COVID-safe way? We’ll go over some of the CDC’s low and moderate risk activities … as well as some activities that you probably should avoid, as they’re high-risk.
Celebrating Thanksgiving 2020 during COVID-19
Low-risk Thanksgiving celebrations.
Here are a few low-risk ways that you can celebrate Thanksgiving during COVID-19, as outlined by the CDC.
1. Having a dinner with just your household.
Yes, Thanksgiving is usually a time when a bunch of people pile into someone’s house (whoever drew the short straw for hosting!) and mingle, then share a wonderful year. Unfortunately, that might not be the best plan for this year. You might want to keep things within your household this year, though you can still cook up a delicious Thanksgiving dinner.
2. Making dishes for family and friends.
If you’re really in the mood for cooking and doing good deeds, you can grab some of your favorite family recipes and deliver them to friends and family. (You can especially think about preparing a dish for your loved ones who are at high-risk and who can’t go out.) Of course you’ll have to get creative about how you drop off the dish in a contactless way.
3. Using technology to have dinner with family and friends.
You can even set up a virtual dinner with family and friends. That way you can still see everyone and be together, even though you can’t be physically together. Maybe share recipes so you can all make the same dishes and compare notes!
4. Shop online.
Yet another Thanksgiving tradition that has been derailed by COVID-19 is shopping. To reduce your risk, you might want to switch to an online shopping format (if you haven’t started doing your Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping online already). You might want to avoid the stores and the crowds.
5. Keep the sports, movies, and so on at home.
Thanksgiving is also usually filled with sports or movies. Consider setting up a movie-center at home. Grab some comfy pillows and blankets and settle in to watch your favorite Thanksgiving entertainment. You can get your family pumped up for Thanksgiving by making a movie/parade/sports schedule.
Medium-risk activities.
The following are moderate-risk activities that the CDC describes for Thanksgiving 2020.
1. Having a small outdoor get-together.
If you have family or friends who live close, you might consider doing a small get-together outside. Remember to keep everyone socially distanced, wear masks when possible, and use plenty of hand sanitizer. (The CDC has some guidelines and suggestions for making an outdoor get-together as safe as possible.)
2. Visiting a pumpkin patch or apple orchard.
You can also consider visiting an apple orchard or a pumpkin patch where people are encouraged to wear masks, socially distance themselves, and use hand sanitizers before handling the fruit. That’s a fun fall activity that you can partake in to get some fresh fall air and spend time with your family.
3. Going to local sports activities.
If there are local sports activities happening outside, you can consider attending them. Just make sure that the appropriate precautions are in place and that you are being as careful as possible. (At the risk of sounding like a broken record – masks, social distancing, and hand sanitizer.)
High-risk activities.
The following are classified as “high-risk” activities by the CDC, so you probably want to avoid them. The health and safety of your family needs to be a priority, even when you’re distracted by the delicious Thanksgiving feast in front of you.
- Shopping in stores that are packed with people
- Being in a race or being a spectator at a race
- Going to a crowded parade
- Attending an indoor event with people who are not in your immediate household
- Drinking (which impairs judgement)
Traveling for the Thanksgiving 2020.
If you are planning on traveling for Thanksgiving to visit family, you need to be sure to take all precautions and be aware of the risks presented by different methods of travel. That means wearing masks, keeping a bubble of 6 feet around yourself to keep your distance from those not in your household, washing your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, avoiding contact with those who may have been exposed to COVID, and avoiding touching your face.
Thanksgiving is a time to spend with family and friends, but it’s important to make health and safety top priority considering the coronavirus pandemic. Make sure to take the appropriate precautions however you decide to celebrate, and do avoid high-risk activities. Though Thanksgiving 2020 might look different than years past, you can still have fun and spend time with loved ones.
Get home insurance quotes.
It’s also very important to make sure that you have the appropriate home insurance. Our team can help you get quotes for Atlanta home insurance, and we would be happy to help you save money on the insurance you need. Get in touch with us by filling out our online form, giving us a call, or messaging us on LiveChat.
Source:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html#thanksgiving