At this time every year, many Union residents look forward to Thanksgiving break, visiting family and starting the Christmas season. However, 2020 is not a normal year. The COVID-19 pandemic has altered many things about life, and Thanksgiving will be one of them as well. Although many Union residents typically enjoy celebrating Thanksgiving with a traditional family gathering, Thanksgiving in 2020 may call for some alterations to those plans in the name of caution.
by Matt Hennington
Thanksgiving exists as a holiday in the United States due to the first Thanksgiving when settlers first arrived in North America. The Native Americans taught the settlers how to farm the land and survive in this new continent. As a result, they celebrated a meal together to give thanks, and this tradition has persisted through American history as one of the most important. Many people also have formed a family tradition of eating a large meal together at Thanksgiving, which typically includes turkey, dressing and many other dishes. This food is often sought after all year. Moreover, many people also look forward to watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade either in person (if he or she is lucky) or on television. This parade signifies the holiday season, completing Thanksgiving and ushering in the Christmas spirit. Although this is the normal tradition, 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic may require that Thanksgiving take a different form.
Because of the rising virus numbers across the country, Union residents may want to reconsider a traditional Thanksgiving out of caution. People have been working, college students have been away at college and children have been attending school (and football games where social distancing and mask requirements have not been enforced at all). Due to the 14-day incubation period of the virus, many could potentially carry the virus. No one wants their grandparents or other high-risk relatives to contract this virus. By traveling to see other family who live in other cities or states, Union residents could also contract the virus themselves. Despite wanting to see family members or keep up this family tradition, this year could prove fatal to some families; meaning that a wiser option would be to rethink Thanksgiving plans this year.
No one has to cancel; instead of meeting in-person, families can use apps like FaceTime and Zoom to see each other on Thanksgiving without any chance of transmitting the virus. No one wants to do Thanksgiving this way, and this is most certainly not ideal. However, 2020 has not been ideal, and a global pandemic certainly is not anyone’s preferred state of the world. For those who do not heed any warnings about Thanksgiving gatherings (or for those who hear them and refuse to listen), I hope the risks are understood and the responsibility is accepted.
2020 is not ideal, and Thanksgiving this year will certainly by different. A global pandemic rages on, and things have only been getting worse. However, this will not last forever. Researchers have prepared two vaccines so far that will provide possible immunity to those who receive it, and with the distribution of the vaccine, life will begin to return to normal. Caution seems to dictate changing plans this year, and although this seems the wise choice, this will likely only exist for 2020. Hopefully by this time next year, we will all practice our normal Thanksgiving traditions. This will pass in time just like everything else, and things will return to normal again.
