This Thanksgiving, I sat down at the dinner table and stared at all of the vegetarian courses.  I was excited, but I missed my traditional turkey Thanksgiving dinner. Instead of seeing my big extended family this year, we all decided it was for the best if we did not meet. Instead, my mother, brother, and I had a small Thanksgiving dinner at the house of her best friend, who is a vegetarian, with her and her four-year-old son.

The CDC recommended not to spend the holidays with anyone outside of your household, and they include college students coming home for winter break as part of a different household. If you did end up having a large gathering, the CDC recommended doing it outside and wearing masks in any scenario.  

Nevertheless, I imagine many people had Thanksgivings that looked different this year.  Whether or not they followed guidelines or recommendations was up to them.  I know some might not agree with how I spent my Thanksgiving, but in the end, I believe we were safe because we kept our distance and stayed in a small group.  While I do agree that there need to be recommendations in place, I think some are extreme, such as not gathering with college students who came home.

I do agree that colleges are hotspots for COVID-19, but unless students can figure out a separate living situation, it seems inevitable that they will be in contact with their family.  While quarantining is always an option, some students might have gone to college but only took online classes and stayed in their dorm.  Of course, it is hard to make rules on a case-by-case basis, but it is something to consider. 

Governor Tom Wolf also recommended that Pennsylvanians stay home and limit travel as the holidays near, but Dr. Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health, reminded Pennsylvania residents that this was not a shutdown order.

Some of the other orders the state put into effect were alcohol sales being suspended the night before Thanksgiving, retail stores opening at 75% capacity, and increased enforcement of public health orders.  

With most families not able to meet for Thanksgiving, 75% capacity of stores seemed like a lot, especially considering Black Friday, when people flocked to stores to try to get good deals.  Especially with online shopping being an option, I do not think the capacity has to be so high.

Considering all these facts, what is going to happen for Christmas?  While people enjoy Thanksgiving, Christmas usually gets much more emphasis.  Besides Santa and gifts, family is an integral part of many people’s December holidays.

While I missed my family this Thanksgiving, I knew it was necessary to keep them safe.  But if I am unable to see them on Christmas, too, I think it is going to be a lot harder.  It is especially difficult because a lot of my older relatives do not have any sort of technology besides a landline and flip phone.  So, while using video-chat is a great way to stay connected, it is not always an option for everyone.

The isolation and separation from this pandemic have caused significant impacts on the majority of the county’s mental health. With the holidays coming, the problems will probably only worsen.  

I hope that things will be better by Christmas, but recent numbers show that cases are spiking again.  With record case numbers being reported each day, it seems unlikely that things will be back to normal anytime soon.

Because of this, I agree that we should stay home for the holidays if we do not take any precautions, such as frequently going out in public and traveling.  But if everyone quarantines for two weeks before seeing extended family, it should be safe enough to see them.

Of course, realistically, not everyone can take off two weeks before Christmas. Some people still work in-person jobs, and they are unable to work online. Still, if families are able to quarantine before seeing extended family, it could be an option. Also, if only part of the family has to work in-person, those individuals could take a test before going to see others.

In the end, it is up to the individual how they want to spend their holidays, but the risk associated with seeing people should always be considered, especially if some members of the family are being exposed to a lot of other people beforehand. 

Hopefully, if everyone tries to take precautionary steps, we will all be able to see our families for the next holiday season without any restrictions or worries.