{"id":1395,"date":"2020-11-12T11:39:46","date_gmt":"2020-11-12T19:39:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apartmentsbstg.wpengine.com\/?p=1395"},"modified":"2025-07-21T15:34:15","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T22:34:15","slug":"celebrating-thanksgiving-holidays-covid-free-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.irvinecompanyapartments.com\/celebrating-thanksgiving-holidays-covid-free-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Hosting a Covid-Friendly Thanksgiving"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you picture the ideal Thanksgiving, you may think of family and friends gathered around a dining table filled to the brim with turkey, sides, and desserts. However, with the Covid-19 pandemic, reimagining our gatherings is something many households are faced with this 2020 holiday season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>CDC has released its guidelines on celebrating the holidays<\/span><\/a> as safely as possible, with the safest gathering being a virtual holiday. However, if you are committed to hosting an in-person Thanksgiving, there are ways you can mitigate risks to yourself and your attendees.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Thanksgiving<\/a>Start Planning Now<\/b><\/h3>\n

While there\u2019s still time, take a few days to think through your to-do\u2019s. Do you have enough serving utensils and dishes? Do you need to buy some extra cookware? Do you have hand sanitizer? Can your guests eat with enough space to allow for social distancing? Sit down and make a checklist.<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Minimize your guest list: only invite guests that you have quarantined with, or who you know have been <\/span>vigilant in their day-to-day lives<\/span>. Ask them to prepare for the holiday by being as safe as possible and limiting travel and in-person interactions two weeks in advance of your gathering.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Elderly and immunocompromised guests: unfortunately, the only way to be as safe as possible is to ask them to join you virtually. Set up your laptop or even TV to include them in the festivities.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Prepare an invite to remind everyone of the safety precautions. For example, <\/span>guests should avoid direct contact, including handshakes and hugs, with others not from their household. <\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Make sure all your holiday dishes are prepared and served in a contactless way as possible. Wear gloves and\/or wash your hands frequently, trying to avoid handling the food.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. If possible, host outdoor rather than indoor gatherings. Even outdoors, require guests to social distance and\/or wear masks – or both!<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Map out a timeline of how and in what order you\u2019ll need to cook certain dishes?<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Assess your apartment or home square footage and available space to see how many guests you can entertain.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Invite Your Guests<\/b><\/h3>\n

    After you\u2019ve mapped out your space, you can start making your guest list. Who are you inviting? And here\u2019s the most important rule on this front: Be honest and don\u2019t over-invite. Not only will it be stressful for you, but it\u2019ll be uncomfortable for everyone during the occasion. Be realistic with how many guests you can truly entertain and enjoy the camaraderie comfortably!<\/span><\/p>\n

    When you have your guest list outlined, then you can assess your seating. Be sure to make separate tables to adhere to social distancing guidelines.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Thaw and Cook in Advance<\/b><\/h3>\n

    This one is probably the most obvious, but defrost that turkey early! According to the<\/span> USDA<\/span><\/a>, to safely thaw your turkey, you need around 24 hours of defrosting in the refrigerator per 4 to 5 pounds of turkey. So, if your turkey weighs around 16 pounds, it\u2019ll need about four days to thaw.\u00a0<\/span>Now, ask yourself:<\/span><\/p>\n