Thanksgiving 2020: Covid-19 Edition
We’ve made it to Thanksgiving week! Give yourself a big ‘ole pat on the back and hug. This year hasn’t been easy for many and as we are looking for ways to lift up our mental health during these uncertain times, here come the holidays! WooHoo, at least we get to be around our families! Then the reality kicks back in…oh, wait— we’re still in a pandemic. Now the thought of not being able to spend this time with our families may knock us down a few pegs of excitement.
As we all head into this time basically just winging it, (or is it just me? lol) I’ve come up with a few ideas and tips for keeping your family time safe. I’m basing these tips on my own fam, a small group of 6. This has been a challenge but I got the opportunity to put my creativity to the test to make it possible to gather during this upside-down year. I love a good challenge.
Spending time together outside is numero uno.
Depending on where you live, this may not be an option. Thankfully the Bay Area isn’t that cold yet, depending who you ask, of course. So it may not be 110% realistic to be solely outside for those living in colder areas (in which case it might just be a better idea for a Zoom gathering), but making this where you spend the majority of your time is ideal. I imagine at some point someone might have to obviously use the restroom. This is where having a “mask plan” comes in.
2. Have designated mask-wearing areas.
My family has the option to gather outside, and I won’t even talk about the potential of rain because I have POSITIVE WEATHER VIBES. My mom bought a couple of outdoor heaters to enjoy the outdoors as comfortably as possible, and blankets will definitely be present. However, we worried about how we can serve food safely, keep it warm, and allow everyone to fully enjoy our time together while remaining distant. Here is where I decided to put my signage skills to work.
A “no-mask required” sign will be placed outside while sitting down and eating, and a “mask required” sign will be at the back door, and inside for plating or restroom use.
3. Set-up sanitizing & hand-washing stations.
Sanitizing and hand washing seems to be the easiest way to keep Covid at bay, so before we even begin touching our dinner plates, we will be washing our hands at the kitchen sink. Another sanitizing station will be set up on the plating table, as well as on the table where we will be eating as part of the centerpiece because “gimme all the sanitizer,” amirite? Plates will be set up with a pair of sterile compostable gloves (placed while wearing gloves, of course). Along with gloves, each plate will have a handmade Place Card (made by yours truly) so that no one touches anyone else's.
4. Use recyclable/compostable gloves while plating your food.
Wearing gloves while plating food prevents anyone from directly handling any communal serving utensils. There will be a cute basket at the end of our plating table to discard any used gloves before going outside to sit down. I plan to also put extra gloves in a basket on the plating table because we will obviously be going back for seconds...and thirds. I also highly suggest finding ones that are recyclable/compostable because that's a lot of extra trash, and I'd love to be able to avoid that. In case you missed the link in #3, click here for the ones I’m using!
5. Have a clean spot to put masks while you are eating.
Having a designated spot at each outside place setting for your mask, allows you to keep your face covering as clean as possible while you enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. This also gives you a bit of a reminder not to forget your mask when going back for another plate. I know that sounds a bit silly now that we’re heading into month 9 of this pandemic, you’d think it’s become second nature by now. But it’s easy to forget the reality of this pandemic while surrounded by our loved ones and celebrating having each other.
If you can, take this time to let your family know how grateful you are for them. A family doesn’t just refer to those you share DNA with, because you’re also going through this life choosing your own tribe and circle of goal supporters. You won’t believe how much warmth YOU feel when you make someone else feel important and loved.
I’ve also included some Non-Profit organizations that are going to need all the help they can get to help our community during this holiday season:
