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The holidays are quickly approaching and most of us never imagined we’d still be dealing with spikes in COVID-19 cases where family gatherings might be considered high-risk. While everyone is eager to spend time together to celebrate Thanksgiving, there are more risks to consider with large family gatherings. It’s leaving a lot of people wondering whether or not they can celebrate Thanksgiving safely with family and friends.
“Rather than deciding if it is or isn’t safe to celebrate with family this holiday season, I would recommend thinking about degrees of safety, and how we can maintain our holiday traditions while keeping our loved ones healthy,” Dr. Alyssa Lederer, assistant professor at Tulane University of Public Health and Tropical Medicine told Mom.com. “With the right precautions and creative thinking, the holiday season should still feel festive.”
What the CDC says about Thanksgiving celebrations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that celebrating virtually or with members of your own household poses the lowest risk for spreading COVID-19.
Host any gatherings outdoors
If you do decide to include family or friends from outside of your household, you should host your dinner outdoors — but be aware that it is now elevated to “moderate risk.” The CDC also recommends non-household members to “strictly avoid contact with people outside of their households for 14 days before the gathering.”
While the CDC recommends only gathering outdoors, if you do decide on an indoor party keep your guest list to the bare minimum and make sure that there is enough space for strict social distancing. Indoor gatherings should have good ventilation, and make sure that there are extra masks for attendees and ample hand sanitizer for people to use. When it comes time for dinner, the CDC recommends that guests bring their own food and drink. And as they do for outdoor gatherings, the CDC recommends non-household members to “strictly avoid contact with people outside of their households for 14 days before the gathering.”
While the CDC doesn’t outright say that you cannot have a large gathering, it does categorize them as “high risk” and to be avoided. It also states that its guidelines are supplements to state and local rules. Before planning your celebration, you should consult with the rules in your specific city or county. For example, in Los Angeles county all gatherings must be held outdoors and are limited to only three households, including hosts and guests.
If you do choose to gather in-person, the CDC urges hosts to consider where the gathering is, how long the gathering will take place for, the number of people who will attend the gathering, and where people are traveling from to attend. It’s also important for hosts to have a good understanding of the behaviors of guests and if they will adhere to social distancing prior to and during the gathering.
Deciding on a small Thanksgiving dinner
I remember growing up with massive family gatherings at my grandparent’s house. That was Thanksgiving. Over the years, the gatherings have gotten smaller which makes it a natural choice for us to have a small Thanksgiving dinner this year. While my mom and my grandmother are not in my household, we are seeing each other enough — and both households otherwise isolating from major gatherings — that we feel comfortable getting together for a family meal. My situation is fairly easy to make that decision, but what do you do if you have family from all over the country wanting to gather?
As the CDC recommends, as people have to travel longer distances, they increase their chances of getting and spreading COVID. Staying home and celebrating virtually or with your immediate family is the best way to protect yourself and others, especially if you have elderly or at risk family members who simply can’t afford to contract COVID.
Those that must travel are better off driving than flying, even if it isn’t as efficient. “We’re going to my brothers so the cousins can spend some time together. We plan on getting a COVID test before driving there. It’s just been too long to not get the family in the same room,” Denver mom Sherrie Lopez told Mom.com.
Socially distancing: A virtual Thanksgiving dinner is the safest
As the country continues to see infection numbers rise, it might be safer for everyone to do a virtual Thanksgiving. This might include activities leading up to the dinner such as a family recipe swap so that everyone can enjoy the same meal with the family recipes on Thanksgiving. Set up a Zoom call with participants from various locations to share what you’re thankful for and see everyone’s spread.
The virtual Thanksgiving can be as elaborate as you want to make it. Create electronic invitations that are festive and reflective of your family. Plan the dinner with a recipe swap and ask everyone to share pictures for a virtual family reunion. Get behind the scenes with the cooks and encourage first time cooks who might not get the recipes right the first time. When it comes time for dinner, share a family prayer together and either sign off or continue the conversations virtually. It might seem a bit chaotic with people trying to converse via Zoom but that won’t be far from the norm of large family dinners where no one seems to get a word in edgewise anyway.
The risks of shopping on Thanksgiving
Some people say that Thanksgiving shopping is a bad idea to start with, and the CDC agrees; they consider shopping in crowded stores just before, on, or after Thanksgiving a “high risk” activity to be avoided. Consider ordering items online, or doing your shopping way in advance and freezing perishables.
If you plan on shopping, realize what you’re signing up for this season. First, there will be crowds, and crowds are where you are likely to see a super spread of Coronavirus. Second, it’s important to note that the crowds may not be exclusive to your area, further increasing the chances of spreading the virus. People may be visiting family or have come from a large family dinner where they already increased potential exposure to the virus. All of this simply means that risk goes up as controls go down.
