Holidays in the time of Covid

[bookreader451]

I am wondering how many of you are planning traditional holiday celebrations and who is altering plans this year.

I usually host Thanksgiving and it can be 25 people. I am not doing it this year and everyone seems so disappointed. I feel guilty but I am afraid of exposing some of us older family members to Corona.

My state limited gatherings. I don't want to pick and choose. Hubby suggested I do "take out" but, I am not going through all the cooking and cleaning up if I can't sit down and have the meal, play games with dessert, and laugh with the people I love.

What are you doing?

 

[AliOop]

We would normally travel to be with our daughter's family or my parents, since they are the closest. However, as a chiropractor in NV, our daughter must limit exposure to out-of-area folks in order to keep her office open to treat patients. And my parents have requested no gathering at their house, not due to the virus but because both are elderly and get easily exhausted when lots of visitors come over. And if they say yes to one of us, how do they say no to all the other adult kids in our huge extended family? So, no traveling for us.

We are discussing whether to gather for a Thanksgiving meal with a few local friends. All of us have been in regular contact anyway. But we can't make that decision until it is closer to the time, and we see who is healthy, who has potentially been exposed, etc. I've ordered a turkey just in case, but am guessing that I might end up with a whole lot in the freezer.

 

[BattleGnome]

Usually we visit friends but that obviously won’t happen this year. even if my husband and I didn’t want to be careful one of our friends has a compromised immune system and we definitely don’t want to endanger her.

for Christmas... we always visit family in the first few weeks of December. Since everyone is currently healthy and doing their part we are still hoping to travel. We also know that these plans may change. Corona numbers have skyrocketed in our area during the past few weeks with no sign of anyone coming to their senses. I hope that we can keep ourselves healthy to travel but we have to look at the bigger picture. Not only would we be traveling and potentially exposing ourselves but we could pass something on to family (16 month old niece has never been sick despite 2 pharmacist parents and a nurse grandma). On top of that worry, we would have to pass through Wisconsin to get to family. We did some traveling in June and Wisconsin was scary then, I’m kinda concerned about what things will look like if we travel now.

 

[bookreader451]

We are in NY and our numbers are low but going up. My kids are in Brooklyn and my sisters are two blocks away. One of my sisters is a teacher and her husband works at a college. My other sister is having surgery Monday and may have a bad diagnosis and since the Dr. has already brought up chemo I am afraid to expose her to anything. My family in Massachusetts are all elderly.

I am going to suggest a zoom check in with all the kids. My daughter texted me today and is afraid to expose us, her live-in BF is a teacher in a yellow zone. We had a sisters fire last Saturday night but, outside is not going to be feasible for Thanksgiving. If I lived in a warmer climate I would just do an outdoor holiday.

 

[dibbles]

We just today decided to not get together for Thanksgiving. If they want to come for dinner, we will spend it with our son, DIL and infant grandson. We'll figure out Christmas when it gets closer. Covid cases are spiking here in the upper midwest.

@bookreader451 I hope things go well for your sister.

 

[earlene]

My DIL's brother's wife's father was hospitalized and on a ventilator with CoVid, so they are NOT hosting any holiday dinners this year. They normally host a huge family gathering every year. I've been there myself a few times.

So my DIL invited us to their house instead, but with the rising rate here and in Texas, I had no plans to risk it for Thanksgiving. And as it turns out, I have surgery the day before Thanksgiving anyway, so I will just be recuperating. Guess Hubby will have to do the cooking for the both of us, but he will also be working that day. Maybe I'll plan ahead & buy a frozen veggie lasagna somewhere.

Christmas is another story. No gathering, but it does look like I'll be traveling, first alone, and then with my eldest sone to help him move. This travel should be completed by Christmas, but that depends on if the closing date can completed earlier rather than later. If we have to travel on Christmas day, we'll be eating take-out or food from a trucks stop restaurant. We shall see.

 

[bookreader451]

@bookreader451 I hope things go well for your sister.

Thank you. We are all praying for the best.

Erlene I hope everything is okay!

We celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas and I haven't even wrapped my head around that!

I am getting most of the kids air fryers because they are old and haven't given me grandchildren yet. When they give me grandchildren they will get better stuff. Seriously the youngest is 27 and the oldest is 37 what is with kids these days?

 

[dibbles]

They are worth waiting for @bookreader451. My oldest was just shy of 32, and my son was 31. When they had their babies. Karma for me - I was 33 when my first was born.

 

[BattleGnome]

@bookreader451 my sister was 33 for her first (only, she claims). I’m 31, my brother 28 - both with pets to act as cousins.

personally, I’d love an air fryer for Christmas. We picked one up at a store closing sale about a month ago and it took 2 uses before I was open to the idea of finding a bigger/better one. It took one use before my husband started recommending it to everyone he talked to.

(the whole grandkids thing might just be a long wait, one of my uncles was well into his 40’s before he and his wife decided to adopt)

 

[Angie Gail]

We are planning on having both Thanksgiving and Christmas as normal. If we had to fly that might be different because I don't think I could stand to wear a mask that long (they give me headaches and can make me feel queasy).

 

[Becky1024]

We usually go to my cousin's for a big extended family Thanksgiving but won't this year. I am having only 5 at our dinner. Everybody will wear masks except when eating and while eating we will be socially distant. I will probably do the same at Christmas. Cases are spiking here in Ohio and it's only going to get worse.

 

[Megan]

I'm spending the holidays with my nuclear family unit this year. No extended family. Just my husband, my kids and I.
Usually we spend the holidays with my small but extended family...and I usually have one other party with friends as well.
I'll be nearly 8 months pregnant at Thanksgiving and almost 9 months then at Christmas...so Christmas wasn't going to go as usual anyway this year even without Covid. I cut off all events (except for work) at the beginning of Nov. and probably won't visit anyone till at least April. On that note: can Covid be done now?

 

[amd]

I'm haven't discussed with my husband yet, but I am going to be putting my foot down and we will not be doing any extended family get togethers, at least for Thanksgiving. We'll see what things look like in South Dakota when we get closer to the end of December to decide that. For now, though with positivity rate being so high (and I'm not talking about the "positive pants" that our governor told us to put on), and all of us being in different germ pools it just doesn't seem like a good idea at this time. If it comes down to it, I guess my husband can take the kids but they'll have to find somewhere else to live for two weeks because I don't want their germs back in my house.

I don't think this will be a problem for my side of the family - my mom was hospitalized for a week with Covid the beginning of October, so my sisters and I are all being extra careful to stay away and not risk exposing her again. Besides, my sisters don't like holidays and usually have to work, so we will plan a non-holiday in the summer where we can be outdoors. My husband's family will be the difficult ones, as his parents are divorced and do not get along, we usually have two holidays for each parent (back to back days on the same weekend at SIL's house... don't get me started on this ridiculous bit of nonsense). SIL owns a salon, and while she's the only one there and does take a lot of precautions (she says she wears a mask and spaces out clients so she can clean between... I have to wonder how much she really does because she has been very verbal about how ridiculous it all is...). Their school just went to virtual learning due to high covid cases. I just don't think it's a good idea for us to join their get togethers at this time. (SIL and inlaw parents all live in the same city, we live in a different city the next county over)

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I will be alone by choice and SAFE on Thanksgiving. Turning a negative into a positive, I'll get out a jigsaw puzzle, which I haven't done in ages, and listen to opera all day long, being grateful for the opportunity. I will reminisce about the good times when we were all together. There were some doozies, I tell ya! I will be grateful for all the good so many courageous people are doing during these stressful times. I will be sending out love to everyone who needs a little loving. Oh, and I will probably take a nice relaxing bubble bath followed by a little snooze. All the things I love to do on a single day. Whatever y'all decide to do, I wish you well that day and send blessings to you and your dear ones.

 

[Misschief]

Erlene I hope everything is okay!

We celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas and I haven't even wrapped my head around that!

I am getting most of the kids air fryers because they are old and haven't given me grandchildren yet. When they give me grandchildren they will get better stuff. Seriously the youngest is 27 and the oldest is 37 what is with kids these days?

Hey, I was in my early 40's when my first grandchild was born; I'm 66 now and have 10 grandchildren in all, most biological and a few "acquired". They're all amazing and range in age from (would have been) 22 down to 4.

We won't be seeing any of them this Christmas. It just isn't safe. They all live in an area where Covid is on the rise and restrictions are in place.

 

[TheGecko]

We usually go to my sister’s, but may stay home this year. Christmas has always been a catch as, as catch can affair with all the kids spread out working all kinds of crazy hours. Our one DIL (hubby’s son’s wife) is a nurse, so they have made themselves off limits because hubby is very high risk with his health issues. We haven’t seen them since January...FaceTime isn’t quite the same of course. Oldest daughter lives a good 10 hours away and is staying close to home. Youngest son and his family will be iffy with the baby. It was one thing to split up the families for an outdoor birthday party in the park, it’s another to get a have dozen people in a small apartment...especially when some of them are high risk. We’ll see.

 

[Catscankim]

My friends usually have a “Friendsgiving” party at their house. Its a bbq and everybody brings something. I dunno, maybe 15 ppl. It was always outside, even before covid. We all play pool together on sundays for league, every week since things started opening up...and for 13 years before covid.

i always bring the cranberry sauce. Its her husbands favorite. “I am the only one who makes it right” he says lol. Guess it tastes like his moms.

I got a msg the other day asking me for my cranberry recipe. I guess im not invited this year. Ppl get weird that i work at the hospital. Guess we can play league together every sunday, but i cant come to their house for an outside party. Its ok, i just wish they would have just called me.

My recipe is stupid simple anyway lol. She texted me back...is that it??!! Yeah lol...bag of cranberries, cup of oj, cup of sugar...little nutmeg.

Soooo. I guess im making soap for thanksgiving this year lol.

Not meaning to sound pathetic lol. I am ok with that and i get it. I just wished she would have called instead of just not inviting me, and then asked for my recipe without saying anything about the Friendsgiving that i know everybody is going to.

 

[Guspuppy]

So far my cousin is hosting her normal Thanksgiving dinner for about 15ish people. Everyone has been together with one or the other of the guests regularly in the last few months so we are all already exposed to each other's germs. The only thing that worries me is her 92-year old mom (my aunt) but she's doing well and my cousin has requested anyone with any chance of exposure not to come. I'm looking forward to it. We haven't had a family party since last Christmas.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

I'll be hosting Thanksgiving this year w/ immediate family' we see each other often anyway so the covid threat isn't to much of a concern we all practice safe guidelines as much as possible.

 

[shunt2011]

I'll be having a small Thanksgiving with my daughter and grandkids. Sadly, my parents have lost their minds and are traveling to Colorado. Just can't tell them anything. But, because of me being immune system is severely comprised right know I will be avoiding others altogether. I'm around my daughter and grandkids on the regular and they are taking all precautions.

My parents will not be allowed around us for 14 days once they return. No rona here.