By now, most of us would be deciding whose house will hold Thanksgiving and whose will hold Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or Ramadan. Flights would be booked, schedules would be cleared and delegation of who is bringing which dish would commence.
But with the second wave of Covid-19 still building steam, upcoming holiday celebrations, which generally involve intergenerational, indoor gatherings lasting several hours or more, are coming under scrutiny. Public health officials are urging Americans to celebrate only with those in their household; in essence, to skip seeing extended family this year so that everyone will be around to see next year.
We checked in with a number of local residents to find out how the pandemic was affecting their holiday plans. Overall, most described their plans in one word: small.
Mel Avallone from Saugerties said, “this will be the first time in over a decade that I won’t be hosting a huge gathering.”
With her mother-in-law turning 90 this year, her family is “taking no chances.”
Others, like Pepper Conklin, also from Saugerties, are getting creative and swapping Thanksgiving dinners and eating over video chat, as the CDC recommends (see sidebar).
Susan Tratner, of New Paltz, said she might travel to a family member’s house for an outdoor gathering and will bring her outdoor heater with her.
Some are doing a traditional gathering, but with masks.
Lijah Friedman has spent the last 20 years traveling to Schenectady to be with family each holiday season. This year is different. She’s known numerous friends and coworkers who have contracted the virus, and one of her daughters is an EMT. She’s had a close look at its effects and has been living cautiously since March. For the holidays, she said she will be asking her daughter who doesn’t live with her to get tested beforehand. Then Friedman and her two daughters will order from Main Course in New Paltz, watch a movie and hangout.
“Even with our birthdays – it’s temporary,” said Friedman. “You have to sacrifice.”
She suspects December’s usual celebrations will be “mellow.”
Town of Lloyd resident Kristin Cordazzo Jimenez works at a local hospital and will be working on Thanksgiving.
“Covid numbers are still on the rise, so we’re staying away from everyone,” said Jimenez. “We will probably video chat with family though.”
Jimenez contracted Covid-19 back in the beginning of the pandemic and between that experience and one of her family members being immunocompromised, she said it simply isn’t worth it. She has been ordering Christmas presents online to be shipped directly to her nieces and nephews so they can still have gifts to open from her.
She mostly only goes out to buy groceries and only participated in a handful of outdoor gatherings over the summer.
“I get it,” said Jimenez about those who might still decide to celebrate Thanksgiving with extended family. “We’re humans. We are social beings. But you sort of just want to scream.”
Katya Stanislavskaya, a professor at SUNY New Paltz, said she’d like to celebrate Christmas as she usually does (going to her husband’s parents in Michigan), but she doesn’t want to expose them to her son who has been visiting his dad in Manhattan, especially because his dad has been traveling for work. While her son’s father gets tested frequently, she has already decided that both her and her son will stay home in New York for Christmas.
“The big thing is not being aware or in control of what happens on the other side of the family,” Stanislavskaya. “We’re just trying to be cautious.”
While she doesn’t want to keep her son from seeing his father or grandparents, the pandemic has put her in a confusing situation where she said “it’s kind of a damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”
“I myself feel sometimes like I’m judging people who I hear are traveling to see family,” said Stanislavskaya. “On the other hand, I realize that like me, they probably don’t have a choice. I guess we should be both super careful and tolerant.”
Guidance from the CDC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidance for holidays throughout the entire pandemic.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has been stressful and isolating for many people,” read the CDC’s website. “Gatherings during the upcoming holidays can be an opportunity to reconnect with family and friends. This holiday season, consider how your holiday plans can be modified to reduce the spread of Covid-19 to keep your friends, families, and communities healthy and safe.”
The guidance applies to both Covid-19 and the flu. It states that the safest way to celebrate this year is with people in your household. For those who do travel, there are a number of suggestions. Most of them are similar to what we’ve all been hearing since March – wear a mask, stay at least six feet away from others who don’t live with you and wash your hands.
To make Thanksgiving and other holidays even safer, they recommend bringing your own food, drinks, plates, cups and utensils, avoid going near areas of food preparation and to use single-use and disposable items.
They do also suggest outdoor gatherings, despite the weather getting colder. If you’re inside, it’s best to have the windows open. Additionally, the CDC states that you should have a conversation with guests ahead of time to set expectations for celebrating together.
“Unfortunately, the Covid-19 epidemic is worsening, and small household gatherings are an important contributor to the rise in Covid-19 cases.”
Alternatives to the traditional Thanksgiving celebration that the CDC included are hosting a virtual meal online, preparing dishes and delivering them to family and participating in a gratitude activity.
Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan said during his briefing on Covid-19 on November 10 that although tough, families should not be holding large gatherings for Thanksgiving.
“As we head into Thanksgiving and the holidays, it’s even more important than ever that you factor that into your plans,” said Ryan. “That probably means your Thanksgiving needs to look a little bit different than it normally would.”
Join the family! 
