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Thanksgiving will be different, but that may be the best thing about it

Have fun this Thanksgiving


At first glance, the timing of Thanksgiving 2020 is not great. In fact, if you’re thinking about all the usual traditions, it’s pretty bad. Because, as we all know, the most common Thanksgiving activity is get-togethers with family and friends, which are now too risky. But leave it GoodHousekeeping and Café Mom to show us how we can possibly turn this new wave of lockdowns into fun opportunities for broadening our palette of possibility.

On a personal note, I can say that a couple households I know are actually looking forward to a more intimate turkey day, relieved to have a break from labor-intensive prep and cleanup, and a reprieve from a household full of people who may not necessarily get along. These households plan to relish quality time with kids, more time in nature rather than the mall, and enriching bonds with closest family or their pod.

READ MORE: Thanksgiving in a pandemic

They may be on to something. In the same way that Zoom is here to stay, there’s every reason to believe families may be re-thinking Thanksgiving post-Covid.  

Great time to change the menu

In Café Mom’s suggestions for making quarantine fun, a mom admits: “So, I don’t actually like Thanksgiving food. Can we talk about the fact that turkey is actually terrible? The only thing I like is pie, so we are doing only pie for our meal! I’m making a chicken potpie as the main and then everyone in the family gets to pick a dessert pie, so we’ll have six sweet pie options. I’m excited!”

Volunteer to help others

Another will be using her freed-up bandwidth to give back to LGBT youth: “I’m volunteering to package bags for an LGBT youth center this Thanksgiving, instead of spending the day with my Trump supporting in-laws.”

4 creative ideas from Café Mom

  • New helpers: Getting kids involved in cooking.

  • Hot dogs for Thanksgiving: going camping.

  • Honoring the roots: planting native grasses in honor of indigenous people.

  • Movie marathon: All the Harry Potter movies. All the Star Wars movies.

  • Letters of gratitude: Write down what and/or who you are thankful for.

Good Housekeeping’s 5 suggestions

  • A family walk or bike ride.

  • Host a virtual party.

  • Go on a scavenger hunt.

  • Make a Thanksgiving cocktail.

  • Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. (Yes, it’s on.)

However you choose to celebrate, all of us here at Hudson Valley Parent hope you have a safe, fun, and fulfilling holiday. It may even be one of the best ones yet.



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