Thanksgiving is a holiday that all families look forward to every year. It is a special time to gather with loved ones, family, friends, and enjoy the extended holiday. It is a nice excuse for families from all over to come together, but more importantly, it is a time to look back and give thanks as a family. Unfortunately, large family gatherings are not encouraged during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Gathering around the dining room table with all our loved ones, catching up on each other’s lives, enjoying freshly made turkey, homemade pumpkin pies, and special desserts, will sadly be missed this year. To be able to celebrate this wonderful holiday without any risk of harm would require the event to be outside and require the participants to exhibit adequate social distancing. This inconvenience makes it really difficult to have the same experience as in the past. After all, there are many guidelines that need to be followed in order to keep everyone safe and healthy. However, all these disruptions to this traditional holiday should not distract from the importance to recognize everything that we ought to be to be thankful for in the past year. While some are just staying home with their immediate family or hosting outside gatherings with more family members, everyone will have to adjust to the new precautionary constraints.
Nolan Shanley, a sophomore, is celebrating Thanksgiving much differently this year. Traditionally, his whole family would celebrate at his grandparent’s house surrounded by a variety of food. This year, to protect the more vulnerable elderly family members, they are moving the dinner outdoors. There will be a huge fire in the center along with heat lamps to keep everyone warm. The food will be distributed in a safe manner so the family will still be able to feast on the holiday foods. In addition, they will maintain distance between each family member to reduce the risk of sickness. Shanley explains,“Although this loving holiday will be commemorated much differently, I am still happy I get to see my whole family in a safe way.” This year, due to all the pandemic Thanksgiving will be drastically altered. For this Thanksgiving, my family and I decided to participate in the holiday with just us rather than meeting with cousins and grandparents. We believe it would be the safest way while still having a great time. At the end of the day, the most important thing is to have a fun family time in a safe environment and create special lifelong memories.
