Thanksgiving this year will be different due to the fact that a global pandemic is currently happening. It may be difficult to celebrate a holiday revolving around large gatherings with all of the safety guidelines put in place. Despite this, many are still finding ways to make Thanksgiving celebrations work

“We will be having a Thanksgiving celebration but just me and my parents,” sophomore Mason Ray said. “We won’t be having any relatives or friends coming over this year for safety reasons.”

Ray’s Thanksgiving is going to be smaller than usual this year, but he and his family are still going to have a large meal to celebrate.

“We are going to have a big Thanksgiving meal with lots of sides and turkey,” Ray said. “We will mainly just hang around the house and cook and then have a big feast and celebrate at dinner.”

Ray isn’t the only one who is having a smaller Thanksgiving celebration this year. Sophomore Anna Featherstone is doing the same.

“For Thanksgiving me and my family will be celebrating, but of course it’s not going to be the same as it was before,” Featherstone said. “We will only be celebrating with close family that we interact with everyday as should others.”

Featherstone is having a small celebration with only close family, and she believes that others should do the same.

“Personally I don’t think it’s worth celebrating Thanksgiving like we usually do this year especially knowing the history surrounding Thanksgiving,” Featherstone said. “It’s not that important for you to risk your life.”

While Ray is also having a celebration with only close family, he believes that others should have some sort of celebration this year.

“I think a Thanksgiving celebration is worth it because it’s been a hard year and I believe we deserve to have a fun night filled with lots of food,” Ray said. “It’s also good to take the time to appreciate what we still have and that everyone in our family has stayed safe during this difficult time.” 

Both Ray and Featherstone will miss the aspects of a regular Thanksgiving having to do with seeing relatives, but they understand the importance of staying safe during this time.

“I have to say I will miss spending time with some of my cousins but I understand the importance of keeping each other safe,” Featherstone said.

“I’ll miss not being able to have my grandparents come over for Thanksgiving, but this Thanksgiving will still be very fun, and I am looking forward to it,” Ray said.

Whether you decide to hold a celebration for Thanksgiving this year, or you just decide to stay at home with your family, it’s important to remember to stay safe and follow the safety guidelines that have been put into place. It may be hard to celebrate with these, but it’s important to protect not only yourself, but your family and friends as well. It’s also important to take a little bit of time to appreciate the good things that may have come out of this strange year.

By: Lauren Harron, Feature Writer