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November 16, 2020 3 minute READ

7 Ways to Make Your Socially-Distanced Thanksgiving Notable

tags Inspiration | Recipes
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It’s plain to see. This year’s Thanksgiving is going to be very different. Family gatherings are being discouraged, and if you are getting together, it is recommended that meals be enjoyed outside. With resolve and creativity, we can find small things to be thankful for and make this Thanksgiving memorable.

We’ve put together a few ideas and suggestions to help with your holiday celebrations – in person, socially distant, or across the miles.

  1. Send a menu to everyone that usually gathers at your home. Include the recipes and detailed instructions. This might be the first Thanksgiving that some are making their own meals. A little help and advice will make it easy for them to carry on the traditions. Here’s a LINK to a few family recipes that you might want to incorporate into your celebrations. You can pick up the cornmeal you'll need HERE
  2. Set up a Zoom Room or Google Meeting. You'll want to make sure that everyone tries their technology BEFORE mealtime. Set the table and place your tablet or computer in a "chair" at the table. It’s not perfect, but everyone will still be able to eat and laugh together.
  3. Create a Thanksgiving playlist and share it with your family. You could suggest that it can be listened to while preparing the meal. We created a Spotify Thanksgiving playlist that will get you started. Several of the songs mention the many small blessings that we sometimes forget. We hope you enjoy it. 
  4. Think of one thing that has happened during 2020 that you are thankful for and share it during the meal. This year has been trying for everyone, but there are some bright points, and maybe they are something that nobody has thought of.
  5. Enjoy Thanksgiving Tailgate Style. If the weather isn't too cold or blustery, move the celebration outside. Ask each pod to bring their own food and drinks or have one family prepare everything (please pitch in to cover the costs) and one person to serve the food. Your seating should be in family household pods. A driveway or an open field would make a nice setting. If burning laws allow, you might even try a firepit to make s'mores instead of the traditional pumpkin or pecan pies.
  6. Try something totally out of leftfield! Maybe the traditional Thanksgiving meal isn't where it's at this year. Try something a little easier like baked potatoes with soup and salad or even hotdogs or turkey brats - they are easy to consume in an outdoor eating venue.
  7. Find a way to give back to your community. There are others who may not be able to see their families or who have no other relatives. Send a card or letter to thank the doctors or nurses at your local hospital or to your favorite local store or restaurant to show appreciation for their perseverance. See if there are opportunities at your local food bank - they always need help packing boxes, particularly now when their main source of volunteers is one of the age groups most at risk.

If we can all do a little, it will help a lot to reach the end of the pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control have several suggestions to help with gatherings and activities out in your community. Here’s the LINK. Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Photo credit: Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels

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