The holiday season is upon us and as the numbers for COVID-19 continue to rise many people are taking a pause to understand what their season is going to look like. Typically, Thanksgiving safety tips include cooking and fire safety precautions, however, this year, that list might look a little different. Thanksgiving is usually a time to gather family and friends to celebrate and spend time with one another stuffing our faces with turkey, watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and maybe a little backyard flag football.
The CDC has issued guidelines for Holiday Celebrations with recommendations to avoid large gatherings and traveling. While the holiday season will look different for 2020 there are ways to stay safe and healthy. If there has been one good lesson in 2020 it is learning how to be creative and thinking outside of the box for every life scenario. Here are 5 Thanksgiving Safety Tips to help us continue to practice precautions during what is supposed to be a joyous time.
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7 Thanksgiving Safety Tips For The Ultimate Host
Hosting a holiday, in general, can be stressful then add in a global health crisis and you might find yourself torn on what is going to be best for your multigenerational family. You want to be with extended family during the holiday but you also want to continue to remain safe and healthy in your own home. There are ways to host a safe and healthy Thanksgiving by asking your potential guests to take some precautions before and during their visit. Take some of the anxiety out of the day with these seven smart Thanksgiving safety tips.
1. Quarantine Ahead Of Time. We know one of the best ways to help stop the spread of COVID-19 is to socially distance, wear masks, and wash our hands. And we also know that quarantining helps to minimize the spread of this disease. If you are planning on hosting out-of-town guests and putting together your Thanksgiving safety tips list, this could be a must on that list, no exceptions. Let your family know upfront that in order for all to get together, a two-week quarantine is what is to be expected. Some families are multigenerational with pre-existing conditions that put them in the higher risk category and this might be a good compromise for having the holiday in person.
2. Thanksgiving Themed Masks. What’s more fun than to celebrate with Thanksgiving-themed masks for all to wear? In case you missed it, wearing a facial mask is in this year’s fashion guide, and they come in an assortment of colors, styles, and patterns. If the weather doesn’t permit you to be outdoors, this is a great way to add some creative fun while still protecting everyone inside. Of course, they will be taken off to eat, but any small precaution taken is better than nothing at all. PSA, these are not chin guards, but actual masks to cover your nose and mouth.
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3. Host Thanksgiving Outdoors. Normally, Thanksgiving could be spent indoors watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade, munching on finger foods while waiting to sit in close proximity with one another, and sharing communal food. Yikes! That definitely does not make the Thanksgiving safety tips list of things to try this year. Instead, get outdoors and breathe in the fresh air. Risks appear to be lower with outdoor traditions so ditch the indoor plans and move your holiday outside, weather permitting of course. The great news is that Mother Nature could provide a scenic backdrop in certain areas with her fall leaves and cooler temps.
There are so many options for having your holiday outdoors including warm blankets and cozy drinks, yard games and fire pits and even getting away with hosting at a different time in order to give you more daylight and more time to celebrate. Some creative seating options could be to sit by households depending on how many guests you invite or try picnic-style seating with blankets spaced 6 feet apart. Whatever way you choose to host outdoors, get creative, and just have fun.
4. Get Creative With Serving. Eating pot-luck buffet-style meals are out and single-serving snacks and to-go boxes are in. Having communal eating is probably not in everyone’s interest with it sitting out on multiple tables, lots of hands touching serving utensils, and people just breathing over the food in general. Think about trying to serve your food differently this year. If you can, limit the number of households cooking to only one, purchase paper takeout containers, and provide everyone with their own individual portion so there is no reaching into multiple dishes.
If you are going to be outdoors, embrace a new menu this year. Try grilling your veggies and potatoes, and even the turkey should you dare. Bring the crock pots and instapots outdoors and fill them with any additional sides, desserts, or warm beverages. Make this year more casual and fun and get off the train of trying to make it perfect. The top recommendations for any Thanksgiving safety tips list is to stay healthy, safe, and stress-free. Try it out, you might actually like it!
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5. Eat Together Virtually. Traveling out of state to visit family or hosting your usual Friendsgiving of 15-20 people might be completely out of the question this year and not at the top of our Thanksgiving safety tips list. The great news is that Americans have gotten pretty good at learning how to celebrate virtually over the last several months so this should be no different. First things first, make sure that whatever device you are using has a strong connection to your virtual platform of choice and get it set up in the space that fits the room. The last thing you want is for your screen to constantly be freezing or spotting due to a poor connection.
Trying to figure out how to plan the menu? Talk with your family and friends and find ways to share old traditions while hosting from afar. Some suggestions could be sharing the same recipes so each house cooks the same meal to have together. If you have a super-planner in your house they could even be responsible for creating the grocery list to send to everyone. You could also try ordering out from your favorite local restaurants and supporting the small business community. Regardless of food choices, or menu options, you’ll still be able to laugh, share stories, and spend time together, even if you’re not physically in the same space.
6. Pare Down The Guest List. Maybe tradition is to host a Thanksgiving with your closest friends, or maybe this is the one holiday each year that your family from all over the country meet in a single place to celebrate. While opening up your home and space to all is very kind, it might not be the best way to spend Thanksgiving. If you have the space to spread out, great, but if not, think about how many people you could safely accommodate and then start working through your guest list. And if there is a rebuttal, tell them Daily Mom’s Thanksgiving Safety Tips say so!
7. Start New Traditions. It is safe to say 2020 has been a year of firsts no matter which way you want to look at it so why not keep the theme going and put a positive spin on beginning new holiday traditions. Maybe an old tradition is to spend all day cooking. Give your oven a break and order take-out or already prepared food. Maybe an old tradition is to binge-watch your favorite shows or movies. Instead, get outside and go for a family hike, set up a backyard game stop, or participate in a local virtual Turkey Trot. Take a break from traditions to create new non-traditional memories. Out with the old and in with the new!
Holidays are just going to look different this year so embrace it, sister! Annual traditions are going to get a fresh look and families might just enjoy this new feeling and new ways to spend time with one another. The usual Thanksgiving safety tips encompass so much more in 2020 but probably ones we should have been incorporating for a long time. So that being said, wash your hands (recite the Happy Birthday song twice), wear a turkey face mask, and give people space. Stop sulking about all the things that can’t happen this year, and instead incorporate at least one of our 7 Thanksgiving Safety Tips for a healthy holiday and enjoy the change!
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