Holidays with family this year

[wishesuponastar]

In our family, Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up and I just don’t feel comfortable having a family gathering because we could catch the virus especially from someone who is asymptomatic. Especially since no one is going to keep their mask on. I’m thinking about what the Rock said that he and his family got the virus when they visited with friends. Wondering what all of you are planning to do?

 

[TippyThomas]

I will be spending the holidays alone.

 

[cvjw]

Holidays as normal with our family!

 

[Ariel484]

We've decided that we are staying home. I love my extended family, but am I not confident that they have been taking proper precautions.

 

[MamaLema]

No family gatherings this year.

Christmas will be especially hard since every year we have a huge family party with at least 60 people doing Secret Santa and dancing until morning. Everyone looks forward to it even all the moody teenagers. We haven’t had a family party since February

 

[anniemae]

We've decided that we are staying home. I love my extended family, but am I not confident that they have been taking proper precautions.

This. We are going to stay home and skip family gatherings. Just not worth the risk. It was a hard decision to make, but we just can't be sure of the precautions others are taking and I don't think everyone will keep masks on. I don't think being indoors without masks is safe. That seems to be a huge factor is spreading the disease. I think it's natural to let your guard down in that setting and that is how many are saying they contracted the disease. So sad about it, but hopefully next year will be better.

 

[Hikergirl]

We will have Thanksgiving here and invite my father. Since my kids will be back from college I will leave it up to him if he wants to come.
We will get together with some family over Christmas, we’ve been getting together for months so I don’t see any reason to not.

 

[okeydokey]

We live far away from our families, so it is always just the immediate family for us anyway. So holidays as usual for us this year.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

Not happening.

 

[snappy]

Skipping normal family tradition which is brunch with mom in her senior facility. One of our daughters may drive in from out of state for short visit with us but stay on an Airbnb. This daughter was here at the end of July and we kept masks on when she visited us for a few hours at our house each day. Social distanced both inside and out. I don’t mind the changed nature of visits with that daughter but I don’t think our other daughter or my brother will come in from NYC as usual to visit with us and my mom. We have plenty of future get togethers to look forward to with our kids (God willing) but mom is 90 and frail. I try not to focus too much on the future and stay in the moment with mom by phoning her throughout the day. Finally weekly outdoor visits with her have resumed and are for now 30 minutes at a distance. I like to try to be thankful for small mercies.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

My SIL and her partner - the farmers, who raise their own turkeys - typically host Thanksgiving at their house. They've called it off this year. It ends up being 3 families and we have so many people that we take up 3 rooms, elbow to elbow at the table. Too many older and/or health-compromised people (for example, my FIL is almost 84...our other SIL's mom is just now in remission from her 2nd bout of cancer and her father has COPD from a lifetime of working around asbestos). We will somehow stop by my in-laws, at least, with a nice turkey dinner, but we won't all be together this year.

Then we usually host Christmas at our house, and while there aren't quite as many people, 17 is still a lot in our house. Our living room can barely hold us; my son and I usually end up opening our gifts from the doorway. Still elbow-to-elbow here. It's bothering my MIL, but we really don't feel we want to risk it. We'll probably do the same thing as on Thanksgiving, make a nice dinner, plate some up and take it to them with their gifts.

 

[lorimay]

We normally have Thanksgiving in our home with about 30 people, not doing it this year.
Just us our kids and grandkids.
Won't be going to either of my sisters for Christmas Eve & Christmas Day either, just not worth the risk.

 

[KBoopaloo]

We usually do Thanksgiving with half of my mom’s extended family and Christmas with her whole extended family. Those celebrations are not happening and each family will figure out their own plan. I’ve been regularly seeing my parents since April after I had been working from home for two weeks and I am still working from home now so we will be together on the holidays but that is it.

 

[KPeterso]

My cousin who hosts Thanksgiving each year has announced that she will be doing Thanksgiving as normal this year and people are welcome. Our family is choosing not to attend. Just can't be sure that they are always wearing masks and social distancing. I believe a lot of the rest of the extended family are making the same decision.

For Christmas, my one cousin hosts a party (typically the weekend before Christmas) for the whole family with a grab bag. That cousin is unfortunately going through breast cancer treatment (although not everyone in the family knows), so she knows that the party is going to have to be a no-go this year. There is usually at least 1 other party that week, but not sure what the plan is on it. Christmas Day is just my parents and I. And our tradition that we started a few years ago is Benihana and I am just not sure that will be happening this year.

 

[kdonnel]

Ours will be mostly normal.

We go to my wife's brothers on Wednesday for Thanksgiving, that is still on. Will be my family, my in laws(who live in our house), my wife's brother and his family, and his wife's parents.

Thanksgiving day we usually have a meal with my wife's mothers side of the family. They are not wanting to get together this year so it looks like we might finally get to start a tradition of our own Thanksgiving meal! Plus much less driving!

Christmas has always been just immediate family except for the street Christmas Day breakfast. The family that normally hosts moved a few months back but the family that bought their home has said they are going to continue the tradition. It ends up being about 10 homes worth of people that drop in and out for the breakfast over a couple hours.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Our family is scattered across America and everyone has been coming to my home for Christmas for 20+ years. This year we are all staying in our respective communities.

Here's hoping for a better answer in 2021.

 

[adzfoster84]

For Thanksgiving we are traveling to my in laws. I am immune compromised so we have rented an RV since it is a 12 plus hour drive. That way I won't have to come in contact with others along the way. Once we are there, we will remain in the rv for all overnights. When visiting with family during the day, we have requested all the family members (about 15 people) wear masks unless we are outside. For meals, we will eat in a different room from everyone else. Doing the best with what we have to deal with. We are only going because we have not seen my husbands grandparents in a couple of years so we feel like, especially in this crazy world we are living in, that need to see them becuase we don't know that we ever have the opportunity again.

 

[RamblingMad]

I dropped off groceries at my parents house yesterday. I wore my mask the entire time.

 

[kymom99]

Our family likes to eat so no way could we keep masks on. My sister usually has thanksgiving the sunday after so we will probably pass. Christmas is usually at our house and there is no way my husband will agree to it. His family has a hall rented for in between christmas and new years. I'm not sure what he might say about that. We will probably cancel it. There are too many differing opinions about the virus for us to feel safe. Plus my son will be in from college so he is probably the biggest threat.

 

[Kittyblue]

The only family I'd get together with that doesn't already live with me is my mom, and I already see her regularly, so I imagine the holidays will be as usual for us.