With holidays coming up like Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas, there are many questions about visiting family for the holidays during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The holidays are the time when families can get together after being apart for months, catching up with everything they have missed. 2020’s holiday season, though, is little different taking in the fact that there is a global pandemic harshly affecting the United States. While many seem to ignore this fact, with many influencers having parties this past summer resulting in numerous COVID cases, families may start to follow the same path if they come together for the holidays without protective measures in play.
Since the outbreak, many events have gotten cancelled: the St. Patrick’s Parade, The Met Gala, and even Coachella, which was supposed to take place in April. With such cancellations occurring in the beginning of this year, many Americans hoped that their holiday season wouldn’t be affected. It is now months later and the spread of COVID has not stopped, increasing in many parts of the U.S like Vermont, California, and even the nation’s capital, Washington D.C.
With COVID cases increasing, there have been many cancellations to the usual holiday festivities this season. Towns across the country have started cancelling parades, pumpkin patches, and fairs. Many have also taken a new approach to things, implementing social distancing guidelines for attendees and requiring face masks to enter.
While all of these new guidelines are very much needed to stop the spread, many of them seem difficult to implement within family functions. As the holidays near, families begin to plan their parties: Which house will it be at this year? What dish should I bring? Though this is the usual attitude towards such events, there is no discussion on how to gather safely during a pandemic.
It would be impossible to force families to be apart for the holiday season, but there many need to be restrictions in place for this season to run smoothly. The CDC has recently published an article informing citizens on how to lower the spread of COVID while keeping the same traditions. Here it suggests limiting attendees, having outdoor functions, and knowing where attendees have traveled to prior to the event day. You can read more here.
“Host outdoor activities rather than indoor activities as much as possible. If hosting an outdoor event is not possible, and you choose to host an indoor event, avoid crowded, poorly ventilated, or fully enclosed indoor spaces.”
– CDC Tips for Hosting Gatherings
If citizens not just across the nation but the world want to maintain annual holiday festivities, some changes may need to be made to ensure the safety of all participants and keep the holiday season jolly!
Featured Image: Here
