Hi, my friends,
So, here we are coming upon Thanksgiving 2020…. I wish you all a Thankful and Grateful Thanksgiving.
The big question is:
What do we do when we cannot have our big family get-togethers for our traditional family holiday celebrations?
I get that many people don’t mind restricting holiday celebrations this year or any other time for that matter, as they don’t generally celebrate holidays with family and friends. Many do not like getting together with extended family because there always seems to be drama.
Drama or not, there are many of us who still want some kind of gathering and celebration to acknowledge the holidays, make our favorite foods and share in at least a couple traditional habits. Because this virus crisis of 2020 has pretty much canceled everything that calls for a gathering of those not quarantined together, we all must get more creative, like using technology to connect, such as Facetime, Zoom, and various other apps that allow for group conversations.
Traditions Gone Virtual
Below, I have found a couple of blogs on just how to do a virtual Thanksgiving in 2020. Keep in mind this will work for all gatherings you and your family will want to have while we are going through this crisis.
The best way to host a virtual Thanksgiving
I loved the suggestion to have a virtual potluck, and of course, as a game lover, the suggestions for games that can be played online together are just right.
It’s not Thanksgiving without great food. To make dinner extra fun for guests, invite them to prepare a special dish to show off on camera. If everyone is up for it, the host even can assign a different dish to everyone, so each person will have something unique to bring to the virtual table.
Planning a Zoom Thanksgiving? Here’s what you need to know
This is a very practical article, with advice on where to place the computer, for example.
What are you thinking? Put a laptop next to the turkey and move it around during the dinner? Place an iPhone near the cranberries? A webcam by the stuffing?
Esther Yoon, a marketing manager for Zoom, the most popular video meeting service, says consumers will no doubt mostly put their laptops on the table, because “so many homes have them,” but that there are better choices.
Making New Traditions
For some of us, our “Traditional” celebrations of Thanksgiving and Christmas has been changed forever, if we have lost a loved one, especially one who set most of the traditions of our holiday gatherings.
When my husband passed away, we tried to have everything as it had always been. However, it was not as it had always been and it caused us more sadness than we already felt over our loss. We needed to remember my husband, talk about him and even use some of his favorite recipes but we needed to change things up and make new traditions that fit our life without him. Another sad reality of losing a loved one but for all of us to continue to move forward it was a needed adjustment. This is never easy, in fact it is heartbreaking and it can feel awkward at first, however, we are not removing a loved one’s memory, we are adjusting to their physical absence.
If it is time to make different traditions for your holidays take a look at the suggestions below:
18 Thanksgiving Tradition Ideas for a Stress-Free, Gratitude-Packed Holiday
Two ideas from the 18 traditions of this article that I really liked are:
Remember Lost Loved Ones
On a day made for spending time with the people you care about most, set aside a little of it to think of loved one who have passed on. Get everyone to gather together and share a story or a special moment they remember; through those memories, you keep your loved ones alive in your hearts and can pass on important family legacies to the next generation.
Catch Up with Far-Off Family
The bigger your family gets, the harder it is to get everyone together for the holidays, and with the ongoing global pandemic, travel promises to be trickier than ever this year. But even if some of your nearest and dearest can’t make it to the celebration in person, there’s no reason not to see them on turkey day. Embrace the wonders of technology and set up a time to video chat with everyone you’re missing during the holiday—after all, there’s no reason your traditions can’t get a 21st century boost.
20 Unique Thanksgiving Traditions to Start With Your Family This Year
Two of my Favorites from this article are:
#3 Celebrate Everyone’s Birthdays
Families that only see each other once a year, this one’s for you. Emma Seymour of the Good Housekeeping textiles lab says her family sings Happy Birthday when they gather for Thanksgiving — cake with candles included! That way, everyone gets to celebrate their birthday with those they love, even if they can’t travel to be together on the actual da
#17 Take a Walk After Eating
Get your blood moving after you eat for a new tradition that’s good for you. Bundle up if you live in a cold climate and bring some flashlights if it’s after dusk and take a lap around the block. Going for a stroll gives the crew more time to chat than turning on the tube, too.
Whatever you decide to do for these upcoming holidays make sure you stay safe, stay in a heartfelt state of gratitude for what you do have and who you have around you. If you do decide to have a virtual Thanksgiving, remember you can invite family and friends who normally cannot travel to your celebratory gatherings.
Much love and big hugs to all,
Carolyn