0
0
Hosting a Safe Thanksgiving Feast
In the midst of a pandemic, it might be hard to imagine celebrating Thanksgiving with family and friends this year. However, even if it might be a little different this time around, you don’t have to break your yearly traditions just because of COVID-19. You can still stay safe and keep yourself in a seasonal mood this Thanksgiving!
Celebrating Safely with Others
If you still plan to host a Thanksgiving feast with people outside of your household, there are certain things you should be wary of when planning to ensure that you are as safe as possible.
Try and limit your guest list
When you’re inviting guests, try your best to limit the amount of people you’ll have over. The less people, the less risk, so it is suggested that you keep your guest list to about 10 people. You should also be wary of the health conditions of your guests. If they are sick or have been within the past two weeks, they should stay home. Anybody who has relevant health conditions (ex. asthma) or overall are high-risk should also try and stay home.
Make sure you establish a safe way to serve food.
When everybody gets up to receive their food, you should try your best to keep it as distanced and organized as possible. A good suggestion would be to have everybody go up one by one to maintain an orderly fashion so you can still distance. It is also a good idea to have only one person serve the food instead of a buffet-style to avoid any complications regarding using the same utensils. You should also encourage your guests to wash their hands before eating.
Keep everything clean and be wary of the basic quarantine guidelines.
When setting up beforehand, make sure you wipe down and clean any surfaces that will constantly be used like chairs or tables. Place the chairs a decent distance apart, preferably six feet so you can maintain social distancing between guests. As said above, encourage hand washing and provide hand sanitizer as well. It’s also suggested that you use disposable cups, utensils, plates, etc. so you can throw it all out at the end.
Although the majority of the time your guests won’t have their masks on because they’re eating, make sure that they wear a mask whenever possible. These times can include when they’re going up to get their food, leaving to use a bathroom, or simply sitting on the couches and conversing with other guests. Wear the mask properly as well, covering your mouth and nose and fitting it snugly under the chin.
Other Alternatives
It should be noted that the safest way you can celebrate Thanksgiving is at home. There are still tons of alternatives you can do, like hosting a virtual dinner over a Zoom call. You just need to share the code with everybody, and you enjoy a nice family meal while in the comforts of your homes. If you want to get extra fancy, you can even assign a specific menu so that everybody is eating the same foods and set up a nice ambience in the background. This is also a great time to bond with your family at home and cook a meal together, or simply count your blessings.
No matter what you decide to do though, make sure you stay safe and have fun this Thanksgiving. Keep yourself in a thankful mood and bond with others, either in person or virtually. Enjoy, and I hope you all make some happy memories on Thursday!
