Around this time last year, people were getting giddy with excitement as they prepared for the barrage of holidays and amazing sales. After Halloween, you have Thanksgiving Day followed by Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Then the mother of all holidays, Christmas Day, follows a few weeks later. There’s also New Year’s Eve to look forward to. While everyone is hoping for a fast-forward button to take us to the new year after what has been a horrifying 2020, we still can salvage the next couple of months and make the most out of them. Of course, we still need to be extra careful. Don’t forget to observe the many Thanksgiving Day safety tips so you can celebrate without worries. Surely, there’s still something to be thankful for.
Thanksgiving Day Safety Tips
Keep It In the Family
By now, you’re probably making plans for a nice Thanksgiving Day dinner with family and close friends. It would really be nice to have people over and just enjoy dinner, especially after everything everyone has gone through this year.
However, safety is still the number one priority and it would be wiser to celebrate with as small a group as possible. Keep it in the family for now. Be thankful that everyone in the household is healthy and keep it that way by not inviting people over.
Just tell those who you would normally invite for Thanksgiving dinner that you’ll be skipping it this year because of the pandemic. There’s also the tension brought about by the elections. We’re pretty sure they will understand. And besides, they may not want to go out that much themselves.
Limit Guests
If you can’t help but have guests over, you should still limit your guests. The CDC has not imposed a specific number of people allowed in a gathering. However, it is still recommended that the attendees have at least 6 feet of space in between them. With that in mind, check the dimensions of your home and see how many people can fit comfortably. That should give you an idea how many you can invite outside of the ones in the household.
Choose Guests Wisely
We’re not telling you to not invite your annoying uncle or that aunt that keeps pestering single relatives about when they’re going to get married. We’re talking about choosing guests for your Thanksgiving dinner that are closest to you in terms of distance. If you invite someone that needs to travel by bus, train or plane, then the risk of exposure to the coronavirus is higher.
Invite family or close friends that can drive to your place. They’re not that exposed since they’ll likely be getting into the car from their home and getting off at your place. Make sure the drive won’t take too long, though. The longer they are on the road, the more likely they have to stop for fuel, get snacks, or use a public toilet.
Also, ask politely if your potential guest is sick or is experiencing symptoms of coronavirus. Determine if they have been exposed to someone who tested positive, as well. They shouldn’t take this personally since you’re just being careful. And the fact that you asked for these details because you wanted them over for Thanksgiving should mean something, right?
Stay In the Open
If your house is too small to have guests, it would be better to have your Thanksgiving meal outdoors. It is not advised to have too many people in an enclosed structure, especially if there is poor ventilation. Besides, you can invite more people over if you have a large enough outdoor space. Arrange tables and chairs or picnic blankets in a way that your guests can still practice social distancing while enjoying their Thanksgiving meal.
Don’t Take Too Long
The CDC stresses that the longer the gathering, the higher the risk of exposure. In fact, 15 minutes of standing 6 feet from a coronavirus carrier greatly increases the risk of you also getting infected.
Fifteen minutes is too quick to finish your Thanksgiving meal, though. A couple of hours should be okay. Just make sure to tell your guests that the party won’t last that long when you invite them. The heads up will also help them decide if the two hours with you are worth the travel and risk of exposure.
Remind them nicely after dinner so they won’t think you’re rude if you shoo them out. A gentle reminder will also give everyone some time to say their goodbyes properly. No hugging and kissing, though. Elbow bumps will be fine.
Since you don’t want your guests to stay too long, set your traditional dinner a lot earlier. In other words, have a Thanksgiving lunch or early dinner. This way, your guests can get home before dark.
Wear Face Masks and Face Shields
Everyone is expected to wear face masks and face shields except when eating or drinking, of course. Your guests should wear theirs on their way to your place. Provide new ones at the gate or entrance so they can leave theirs in the car. That also lessens the risk of them bringing the virus into your home in case their masks and shield have been exposed to your home.
Surgical masks are perfect for this occasion. They can easily throw them away (properly, of course) after leaving your home. You can also give out cloth face masks like the Redfora Wool Face Covering. The full face coverage mask is made of high-density wool felt. Since it is wool, the biodegradable mask wicks away moisture. It also neutralizes odor better than other materials. Aside from being a safety precaution, the mask will double as a Thanksgiving gift for your guests.
Keep Hands Sanitized
Of all Thanksgiving safety tips listed here, this is perhaps the simplest yet most important. Even without the coronavirus, you should always wash your hands properly. In the absence of soap and water, use a hand sanitizer.
Prepare a hand sanitizer they can use upon entry. Make sure you have enough hand sanitizers that you can leave on the tables for them to use. Better yet, give them a free hand sanitizer once they arrive. This way, they don’t have to share sanitizers with everyone else.
The Redfora Everyday Sanitizer Set makes for a nice Thanksgiving Day gift. It comes with 10 disinfecting wipes, 2-ply tissues, a 70% ethyl alcohol hand sanitizer, and a resealable bag. Another version includes 5 disposable masks.
Disinfect Footwear
Provide ways for guests to sanitize their footwear upon entering your property. Place a disinfectant mat near the entrance so they can sanitize the bottom of their shoes before proceeding. Another option is to provide disposable slippers like the ones they have in hotels so your guests can take their shoes off before joining the celebration.
If you’re holding the dinner on your yard, it’s better if you keep your guests outside. Make sure to everything they might need outside so no one needs to enter your house. Provide another sanitizing mat or disposable slippers in case someone really needs to go inside.
Tips For A Fun Thanksgiving Day
Prepare A Thanksgiving Day Feast
We’ve been talking about Thanksgiving Day safety tips and now it’s time for fun part. Thanksgiving Day wouldn’t be complete without a scrumptious meal. And a Thanksgiving dinner is not complete without a turkey.
But if you want to do a Barack Obama and pardon a turkey, you can opt for other kinds of meat. How about a whole bone-in ham? It’s more popular come Christmas but it would be a great alternative to turkey. The American Kurobuta Whole Bone-In Ham from Snake River Farms, for one, can be sliced like a whole roast turkey.
You can also do some grilling with some slabs of American Wagyu Black Grade Filet Mignon, also from Snake River Farms. If you can get the number of confirmed guests in advance, you can purchase a piece of filet mignon for each one.
Of course, you’ll want some vegetables to go with your juicy meats. Use a GoSun Fusion Hybrid Solar Oven to quickly cook your vegetables. With a solar oven, you can do less work so you can enjoy the holiday more. All you need is to leave the oven under the sun and let it do its thing. Even if the sun is a little shy, the GoSun Fusion can still cook your food by plugging it to a wall socket. If you have the GoSun Solar Panel, you can use it to power the Fusion, too.
Since GoSun solar ovens don’t produce smoke, it’ll be a good companion during this coronavirus brouhaha. Why, you ask? Well, smoke makes you cough. When you cough, you spread droplets. If you or someone in your party is a carrier then these droplets will easily spread exposing more people to the virus.
Certainly, you want dessert to finish off your meal. Pies are quite popular with apple pies a heavy favorite on Thanksgiving. Of course, you can try other variants like strawberry pies. Make your strawberry pie a lot more sparkly with the Strawberry Glaze for Pies from The Prepared Pantry.
Decorate the Place
Another way to add fun to your Thanksgiving Day party is to decorate the place. You don’t need to go overboard with your decorations. Something simple will do since your guests are not going to spend a lot of time in your place.
Wreaths are quite popular in autumn and it makes so much sense to hang one on your door for your guests to admire. The Harvest Season Cotton Wreath from Antique Farm House is perfect for Thanksgiving Day. It embodies Southern hospitality and bountiful harvest, two things that you should be thankful for.
You can also put up this Thanksgiving Menu Rustic Farmhouse Wall Decor from Antique Farm House. The wooden sign shows some traditional Thanksgiving dishes such as turkey, pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes.
Give A Thanksgiving Gift
We’ve been talking about giving your guests face masks and hand sanitizers as their Thanksgiving Day gifts. They’re nice and all but you can make the day even more fun with a funny thank you card.
You don’t need to be a cat person to love this Thanks A Buttload Cat Butt Thank You Card from Perpetual Kid. Yep, what better way to show your gratitude and love than with a thank you card featuring the heart-shaped butt of a cat?
We have about a couple of weeks before the much anticipated holiday. Better start planning now to make sure you have a fun celebration. More importantly, take these Thanksgiving Day safety tips seriously so everyone can have a good time without worrying about getting sick. Follow Gentleman Pirate Club for more tips on how to enjoy holidays without compromising your health and safety.
