Ten Safer Ways to Celebrate Maryland Thanksgiving in 2020
This 2020 due to the Pandemic, celebrating Thanksgiving in Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. is going to be different. Concerns over spreading the novel coronavirus means playing it safe and adopting additional precautions not to get sick. Many people are sensibly opting to stay home and celebrate in smaller family groups.
Perhaps you’ve never cooked a turkey, because you’ve always spent Thanksgiving at Aunt Clara’s house. Maybe you’ve always watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade with your cousins, and this year you won’t see them. But Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be bleak.
The Crilly Insurance Agency believes in helping one another in positive ways. We put a big emphasis on service. We have some ideas to share on how to make Thanksgiving 2020 fun and meaningful. Here are ten ways to safely have a fun 2020 Thanksgiving.
Take a Hike
1) Mild temperatures currently forecast for the region, mean that you can easily start the day with a hike or a run. This outdoor activity may enable you to see family from a distance. Neighborhood, County, and State Parks provide wonderful opportunities to maintain a safe social distance of six feet and build up an appetite for a big dinner.
Procure or Cook an Extra Dinner
2) Is there a “shut-in” living in your neighborhood? While physically sharing food with others outside your immediate family is not recommended, if you follow safe food practices by sanitizing preparation surfaces and thorough hand washing, consider making an extra dish of stuffing and baking an extra turkey breast to deliver. Or, if you’re not cooking– pick them up prepared items from a favorite supermarket or restaurant.
Give Thanks to Essential Workers
3) Remember how everyone was putting heart signs on their lawns and in their windows to thank postal workers, nurses, doctors, paramedics, and delivery drivers? Is there someone at the grocery store who has been particularly helpful? If you enjoy baking, consider purchasing a dozen small loaf pans to create a batch of banana nut bread or pumpkin bread to distribute to your favorite essential workers. Kids at home may enjoy making thank you cards. Add a five dollar gift card as an added thank you
Share a Family Recipe
4)Many households have a unique recipe they’ve brought to family Thanksgivings for years. While the recipe may be closely guarded. Now is the time to share. Write it down to send to others. If the preparation is complicated, consider sharing it in a video. Who knows—maybe you’ll become the next celebrity chef.
Eat Early and Eat Outside
5)The temperatures could be in the upper 50’s during the day and if you are gathering with a larger group or with people who are normally not in your circle move your dinnertime to when the temperature will be at its warmest. Pick a sunny spot to set up your table. Wonderful outdoor decorations include rustic items like watering cans to hold flowers and candle lanterns. Utilize the extra space to set up small satellite tables to provide optimal social distancing.
Dining Inside Tips for Safety
6) Open the windows, if you are including guests outside your immediate family. Wear masks when socializing with people outside your family and if you are eating in the same room, sit as distant as you can from one another- at least six feet. This will decrease risk of contagion, but as previously stated, spending time inside without the proper precautions of mask protection and distancing is not recommended by health professionals.
Share with Those in Need By Donating to Your Local Food Bank
7)Many grocery stores will have donation locations as do many neighborhoods. While you are shopping for the ingredients to make all your Thanksgiving favorites: pumpkin pie, string bean casserole, cranberry relish, glazed ham, stuffed turkey, sweet potato casserole—think of those who have no money to purchase food. Buy extra and donate it. Here are some helpful websites to locate food pantries near you: Maryland Food Bank Mdfoodbank.org, Federation of Virginia Food banks Vafoodbanks.org, Capital Area Food Bank Capitalareafoodbank.org
Decorate The Table
8) Fall decorating is all about color. Feature orange, yellow, dark red and a touch of purple and you’ll have a table for Thanksgiving. Sunflowers and mums or branches of bittersweet; will all look beautiful on a table with colored napkins. Gourds or small white pumpkins are both simple and elegant. Sheaves of wheat, dried cobs of corn that have been painted, pinecones and moss, or an edible centerpiece of nuts and fruit all make great centerpieces.
Funny Hats
9) Paper hats resembling Pilgrim Hats or turkeys are common at many Thanksgiving tables that include pre-school children. But what hat would you wear, if you were attending a feast and wanted to be just a little silly? Would it be a baseball cap featuring the logo of your favorite team, a bandana or something more mysterious? If you are taking photographs to share, have some fun with choosing headgear.
Meet Together with Family and Friends Virtually
10) Set up a time to join together virtually with family members on Thanksgiving Day. A variety of apps including google hang-out and facetime as well as Zoom, enable you to meet online. Give thanks together by sharing what you are each thankful for, tell funny stories, or say a family prayer. Show off your Thanksgiving food and table decorations.
If you are planning on using a turkey fryer, outside heater, or fire pit; visit our previous blog post on safely using outdoor space. Stay safe. Questions about insurance: give us a call at 410-571-1771.
