5 creative ways to celebrate Thanksgiving in pandemic times

I struggle to write about Thanksgiving this year amid this never-ending pandemic. Not only that, I even couldn’t decide how to celebrate one of our beloved traditional holidays. Here we are in the last few days of September 2020, and we are still stuck in a pandemic and possibly nearing another quarantine. Do I buy a turkey? Can I invite my in-laws and husband’s family over this year? It’s a difficult decision if you have been traditionally hosting Thanksgiving dinner as I do. Since we got married, I have been inviting family over to this feast, and I take pride in preparing every detail, from decorating the house to preparing the menus. Yet this year, I worry about possible transmission of COVID-19 to our aging family members, yet I feel guilty about canceling Thanksgiving dinner.

Celebrate Thanksgiving during the pandemic with simple ideas

I started brainstorming some simple and creative ideas to celebrate Thanksgiving this year on a smaller scale. For now, I’m going with the assumption that we can host up to 10 people inside the house. But if authorities mandate another lockdown during the pandemic “season,” we can still carry on with the simple plans.

Intimate Fall Home Decor

Since it is somewhat complicated to spend time outdoors as the temperature drops, let’s turn our homes into an indoor entertainment hub with intimate and warm home decor to bring more joy and purpose. There are so many ways to beckon the pleasant warmth of this harvest season into your home.

Some of my favourite pieces are porcelain pumpkins, Earth tone colors or Fall prints on throws, blankets and decorative pillows, pumpkin spice candles, table centerpieces, runners, and wreaths. Dried flowers and feathered grass are a distinctive decor trend this season.

As of now, you are probably wondering if authorities may impose a lockdown or tighter rules on the social gathering. Therefore, plan for a light and simple menu with items you can consume on Thanksgiving or freeze afterward. Take as an example butternut squash or pumpkin soups. You can freeze leftover soup. Another idea is to replace the turkey with smaller birds like cornish hens or stick to a little turkey. Fresh salads are a great side dish, and you can prepare on the same day.

Small sweet things to make!

Get the family collectively to prepare small desserts such as cookies, cupcakes, candies, chocolate bites, and ice cream. These items can be stored in the pantry, fridge, and freezer to eat in the days after Thanksgiving. Plus, making sweets is a pleasant family activity that engages everyone in a good old fashioned way. Why bother stocking up on perishable desserts like cakes and pies when you can diversity your selection and in small portions. If your family is like mine, we never could agree on the same pie filling or cake flavor. I like chocolate, and they like vanilla icing.

Take it outside

The idea of hosting Thanksgiving outside can be wild if you live in Canada or Northern US states. However, if nature is kind to us on Thanksgiving, you may want to consider hosting the feast on your patio or backyard. And instead of planning for late dinner, consider a Thanksgiving brunch or early dinner. You’ll need to make some logistical adjustments to stay warm such as installing outdoor heaters. Due to the pandemic and limitations on how many visitors you can invite to your house, outdoor heaters are a hot seller. If the weather is beautiful this year, I plan to decorate our backyard with pumpkins and candles and enjoy the spectacular view of falling leaves in red, orange, and yellow.

Hike it out

So what should you do after Thanksgiving brunch or early dinner? Instead of watching TV or TikTok videos, take the family and guests hiking at a nearby nature park and a conservation forest. Besides the chance to enjoy this season’s beauty, everyone will feel healthy and reinvigorated after a good stroll in the fresh air. Don’t forget to bring a phone or camera to capture beautiful photos of smiling faces and falling leaves.

Summary

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that we would experience a global crisis of such extent one day. Yet here we are, seven months into the Covid-19 pandemic, thinking about Thanksgiving and planning for the most memorable holiday season of the 21st century so far. Such is human nature. It possesses an inborn desire to overcome menaces and an innate desire to survive, and for that, we are thankful!

Originally published at https://ellemuse.com on September 30, 2020.