As with most things this year, Thanksgiving 2020 is going to look a bit different than Thanksgivings of years past. But fear not! We've cooked up a few helpful tips and tricks to bring you some peace of mind as you head into the holiday...
For Those Gathering Virtually
Many of us will be enjoying the company of friends and family from afar this Turkey Day, prompting us to get creative on how to best celebrate together without actually being together. Thankfully, Zoom is making this pill a bit easier to swallow, if you will, by lifting its 40-minute time limit on free meetings. So, not only will you and your loved ones be able to gather and dine around the "same" table, you can also enjoy all of your other favorite Thanksgiving Day activities and traditions, albeit in a slightly different fashion. Baking your signature side dish? Cheering on your favorite team? Sharing what you're thankful for? Yep, all can be done together, apart, with the help of a little technology.
For Those Gathering Together
First and foremost, follow all of the recommended safety precautions that you can. Doing so will help everyone in attendance feel comfortable and at ease - key ingredients to any successful celebration, no? If possible, move your small gathering outside, embrace the change of scenery and add blankets to each seat to keep your loved ones toasty. Also a great excuse to serve a mulled, warm wine!
Hosting? Keep it simple, yet effective. Consider one potato dish instead of three. Or better yet, assign each guest a side dish or dessert to bring so you can focus on the main course - the turkey! Select a wine that will best compliment the menu and finally, don't forget to cue the evening's soundtrack before your guests arrive - we've even curated a handful of mood-setting playlists so you don't have to. Cheers!
For Those Gathering "In-Between"
If you can't bear the thought of not sitting down to your mom's famous stuffing or your uncles signature green bean casserole, but also want to practice social distancing, our very own Ashley Garove (of Ask Ash fame!) has THE solution for you - a mobile potluck. Here's what she and her family are doing this Thanksgiving:
"Our family here in Dallas was planning a small 8-person gathering, pre-testing and quarantine ahead of the holiday all planned out. But with Covid on the rise all around, we felt better to stay in our homes. However, we are a family of cooks! Lots of generational recipes that are a key tradition. So we've organized a plate share! We're all making our favorites and the matriarch of the family is making the rounds to each home to pass along a portion of the dishes to each household so we all still get to have our favorites!" Talk about a happy medium!
Whether you're celebrating virtually, together, or somewhere in the middle this year, we wish you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!
