Just like many things in people’s life, the way we celebrate our holidays might have to change. Thanksgiving has always been a time for family and friends to come together, eat, and share their appreciation for one another. But because of COVID-19 many gatherings have been limited to a certain number of people, for fear of their safety.

   “”We haven’t been able to spend as much time with other family members and it’s sad because we don’t get quality memories anymore,” Mary Carey (12) said. 

   Families will have to adapt to the current regulation of the state. Some families might not have a thanksgiving party and instead just celebrate with the people in their homes. Others might host several parties in a way to see their families. There are many options on how to go about celebrating a beloved holiday in these times.

   ”Our family celebrates holidays differently now. Usually we’d celebrate with family and friends but now we just celebrate with the immediate family. We also used to eat out but now we either order takeout or make a big meal. Thanksgiving will probably change because we won’t have any friends and family over,” Micheal Olabintan (12) said.

   While there is going to be much change there are a few things that can remain constant. Many families have holiday traditions like breaking the wishbone, or watching the football game. Some of these might not have to change.

  ”I want to make sure that I can still see my family and we can still celebrate like we usually do. Some traditions that we are keeping are eating dinner with our extended family and then playing games before and after [dinner],” Madi Walczak (9) said.

   One thing is for certain, the discussions at the dinner table will be including a few new topics. 2020 has been a year filled with many natural disasters, a political battle for the history books, an infectious disease sweeping the nation, and many other events. But Thanksgiving is a day to sit down and reminisce.

   “My family will most likely be talking about how the pandemic has affected us all differently and the different things we miss pre-pandemic. We’ll probably be talking about the people missing at the dinner table too and wondering how they’re doing and who they’re eating with as well,” Olabintan said.