Any families here seriously eliminating or paring down Thanksgiving? (Boston: hotel, college)

[ben young]

About the same as always 14 or so. Our Canadian friends wont be coming though. We live in New Hampshire.
I fly down to Mass and ferry them back and forth,so most wont have to drive .Everyone stays for the weekend.

[rach5]

Looks like it's going to be a hellish Holiday season with infection spreading via Thanksgiving celebrations and students travelling home (many/most? colleges close up for the semester with Thanksgiving). Why can't people modify their traditions for ONE holiday season to prevent illness and death? Are we all toddlers who can't resist the marshmallow? Next winter should be much better...

[bostonguy1960]

It'll be unfortunate for those who rely on soup kitchens and churches for a Thanksgiving meal.

Not sure if Pine Street Inn will or can do their usual feast somehow, or simply eliminate it.

[5pyg1a55]

Originally Posted by id77

I haven't had a Thanksgiving dinner with my family in at least a decade, so the pandemic changed nothing.

Same. When you're used to hacking it on your own, what's the point? It makes no difference from every other T-Day or Chanukah or Xmas or Birthday spent alone.

And as others have pointed out, there's no way to know who , outside your immediate household, is observing social distancing and hygiene and who isn't.

Currently I'm renting an apartment from my friend's mom. Before the apartment came available, i lived in a guest room in her actual main house-- NO ONE in this household observed precautions or hygiene, and there is a 92 yr old man battling lung cancer in here. The Mum, who is over 70 herself, goes to marshalls and Wegmans and out to shops daily, willy-nilly. Old folks seem to just not get it.

The few times I have left this property to a store, I've seen many folks wearing masks but pulled down to expose their nose... or not wearing mask at all.

Something ought to be noted about the pain of extroverts are experiencing right now, which is very real. They need constant company or other things 'happening'. They have no reference or experience to relate to that is similar to lockdown measures. These will be the folks planning massive Thanksgiving dinners.

[CrowGirl]

We don't usually have a huge Thanksgiving but we trpically host a handful of family on my husband's side. They're in Maine. Unlikley we'll be doing it this year....we just learned yesterday my younger stepson very likely has just contracted COVID (we're waiting for results, but he's been exposed and is sick). So it will likely just be my husband and I and we'll be hoping for the best for my stepson. I like one of the previous poster's idea of donating money saved to somewhere like Pine Street Inn. I'll be giving that serious thought.

[mdovell]

A long time ago a relative of mine had shingles and many of the youngest didn't have chicken pox yet. That ended gatherings for awhile. Thanksgiving has always been small in my family. Christmas was another story but as people spread out it just became more of a pain.

[lrfox]

I think we're almost certainly going to go lower key this year. My parents, aunts, uncles, etc. are all 60+ and many have other conditions that put them at higher risk. My girlfriend's father and grandmother are very high risk. Just really doesn't make sense. We may pick a local restaurant to support instead and call/check-in with family. Maybe we'll ski if the snow is decent somewhere.

[xo_kizzy_xo]

I don't know what we're doing. We celebrate with my extended family. Half are in health care, half in retail/food service. There's also a sprinkling of retired folk. We usually have 20+ on Thanksgiving. Maybe it'll separate into nuclear families? My husband's family has the same dilemma but with more kids.

[MMS02760]

I just found out my sister and two nieces tested positive yesterday. I have purposely stayed away from them since mid July as they made it clear while they would wear a mask and try to be careful, they were still going to go out and do the things they always have done. They went on multiple overnight summer vacations, took public transportation including flying, went to beaches, ate at restaurants, etc...This despite not stepping place in their workplaces or college since early march. They just ate inside at a restaurant for a birthday celebration last Thursday. Their symptoms started showing on Sunday.

People need to severely limit their interaction with others as much as possible if they want to avoid this virus. You assume all the risks of others when you interact with them.

[johngolf]

Myself and some family here in SC are ex-New Englanders and usually we have family/friends from NE visiting at Thanksgiving. They will not be this year. Just we locals.