By Dinah Torres Castro
This holiday season started with Halloween when many of us contemplated whether or not to stock up on Halloween candy or goodies. Some parents considered whether candy should be replaced with mini bottles of hand sanitizers and disposable masks! In the end, only a few families took part in the traditional treat or treating routine of walking door to door in my neighborhood. And those who did practiced social distancing, sending one child to the door at a time. Some neighbors decided to set up a table at the end of their driveways to avoid having the kids knock on their doors.
This made me think about what the rest of the holidays may look like. Due to recent spikes in the NYS COVID positivity rates, many of us are planning smaller Thanksgiving gatherings or limiting dinners to just our immediate families or households. Invitations to Zoom Thanksgiving meals are also making the rounds. Many of us will say grace together even though we are miles apart. This year it’s all about keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe from COVID. We need to limit our gatherings to ten or fewer people indoors, and where weather permits, have outdoor gatherings to accommodate slightly larger groups. All plans should include social distancing, wearing masks (except when eating or drinking), and hand-washing with soap and water or hand sanitizer. Other suggestions include having your guests bring their own eating utensils, having one person who is wearing a mask and gloves serve all the food so that multiple people are not handling the serving utensils, using single-use options, or identifying one person to serve sharable items (like salad dressings, food containers, plates and utensils, and condiments).
There are many things to keep in mind when planning your holidays. Do you remember when the hardest thing you had to do was plan the seating arrangement so that Uncle Bill and Cousin Mary didn’t sit next to each other so you could prevent them from arguing? This pandemic has already been so stressful and isolating for many of us. The literature cites increased alcohol and substance abuse during COVID. Will the holidays compound these problems? We need to remain vigilant, practice self-care, and protect ourselves and our loved ones. Some folks are considering whether to skip celebrating this year for the sake of safety. It’s important, however, to take time to give thanks, to be grateful, and to focus on the positive. When you gather this year, talk about wonderful memories, share the love, and articulate your views in thoughtful, mindful ways.
Maybe Thanksgiving can be a practice run, helping us to formulate a plan that will work for the year-end holidays. Whatever you celebrate, Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, make sure you keep safety at the top of your list.
For more information:
CDC COVID 19 Holiday Celebrations and small Gatherings
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html
Dinah Castro is a Bilingual Family Well-Being Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s Family Health and Wellness Program. She can be reached at 631-727-7850 ext. 351 or at dc258@cornell.edu.