We all miss seeing our families and are lamenting the loss of our usual celebrations this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be creative and find new ways to connect! Here are some ways to reimagine Thanksgiving celebrations and maybe create some new family traditions along the way:
- Plan a shared experience. No matter where your family lives in the country, you’ll feel closer with shared rituals. Share family recipes so your family near and far can enjoy the “same” meal. Or pick a new recipe for everyone to try – maybe it’ll be awesome and you’ll add it to your family’s traditions; maybe it won’t turn out as planned and you’ll have something to laugh about. Encourage your kids to come up with other experiences that everyone can share – lighting candles, creating and sharing a dinner playlist, etc.
- Create a connection with meal prep. One of the joys of Thanksgiving is cooking as a family. Schedule video calls for family members to bake a pie (or other meal traditions) separately, but together.
- Send care packages. Mail or drop off treats and supplies to help family and friends feel connected. (Who doesn’t love a surprise bit of mail?) Since current recommendations state that we all shouldn’t mix households and crowd around a table to share pumpkin pie, maybe your family bakes muffins or rolls to drop off on grandparent’s doorsteps, or mail centerpiece decorations so everyone you usually gather with has a similarly adorned table. If your family contains lots of kids, maybe you send just the supplies and instructions for the centerpiece and schedule a video call for cousins and friends to craft together – another shared experience!
- Plan to have a Great Family Video Chat – Seeing family is important, but so is keeping everyone healthy and safe. Schedule a Family Video Chat so everyone can come together from a distance. Maybe everyone gathers around for a video chat while they eat the pie they all worked on earlier in the week! Or everyone comes together to talk about what they’re thankful for and enjoy the fact that technology has the ability to bring us together, no matter the distance.
