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Should Thanksgiving be Cancelled?


MickinMD

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An article on Yahoo finance (link below) say "doctors are warning that it might be time to cancel traditional Thanksgiving plans."

It also makes you wonder about celebrating in groups at Christmas and New Years.  Just as "Holy Water" in Catholic Churches have been shown to be spreaders of disease, Christmas Caroling and Church Choirs would do the same this year.

I just notified my SiL and her SiL that I won't be attending our extended family's usual 15-20 person Thanksgiving gathering, which is being held this year at my SiL's brother's house on the Eastern Shore of Maryland - a largely rural or semi-rural area where the COVID numbers had been relatively low earlier and people have gotten use to not being careful, Rural counties in Maryland that have had virtually no cases have seen an explosion of cases lately and two of them are now the top new cases/population in the state. There will be several locals in their 20's in attendance at that Eastern Shore Thanksgiving who tend not to be careful. I'm staying away, especially with my diabetes slightly uncontrolled right now.

My sister, Bil, and their son - all of whom caught and recovered from COVID-19 in the Spring - are having a small dinner with their very-health-careful next-door neighbor and I'm going to that one.

Coronavirus cases at 'worst explosion' means it's time to consider canceling Thanksgiving: doctor

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I guess folks could do a 2 week isolation, then the event, then another 2 week isolation?  You know, because to some folks Thanksgiving is SO IMPORTANT that we MUST have it in person!  Oh wait, it's not THAT important that anyone would actually plan or "sacrifice" for it, but otherwise, it is SUPER important.

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The advice is good.  Skip the family gathering this year.  Whether or not you want to admit it, there is a national pandemic going on and the principle means of transmission is close contact indoors with people who may not even know that they are carriers.

You can help slow the spread or you can just go on anyway.

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We had a bday get together planned but with my potential exposure a few weeks ago I told them to postpone it.  It got pushed to this weekend and with my wife’s & daughters bday actually became a larger gathering than initially planned.  I spoke to each of my siblings (other than the organizer sister) and asked if they were comfortable with this. To a person they said no.  I then had to tell my sister who organized it that nobody was comfortable with this.

In her attorney way she put up a strong defense argument but she slipped and said we have to do what’s prudent.... You know what’s prudent, you just don’t want to admit it..:  Fine gdammit no gathering...  She called me later & thanked me for helping her see the light.

We have a small gathering for Thanksgiving and everyone going is already in our bubble so should be fine. We are doing it outside and for lunch though which isn’t a problem in SoCal.

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2 hours ago, maddmaxx said:

The advice is good.  Skip the family gathering this year.  Whether or not you want to admit it, there is a national pandemic going on and the principle means of transmission is close contact indoors with people who may not even know that they are carriers.

You can help slow the spread or you can just go on anyway.

The holiday still exists in me... and I cook a meal or get a takeout type of dish that I wouldn't prepare myself.  Then I enjoy the meal..myself.   Anyway Canadians celebrated thxgiving in Oct.  Time moves on..

No one in my family has had a family gathering since Mar.  I have a big family.  I am aware of 1 outdoor summer picnic for 1 tiny family with a toddler in park. That's all.

I would consider my family very strict  on not having gatherings/celebrations this year. No problem.  None of my siblings are challenging the health authorities.... maybe my family is abnormal. 

It is a GLOBAL pandemic.

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We usually have a big family thing, and include my mom.  I cancelled it.  Didn't ask who was comfortable, because I have family members who still think it's all a political stunt.  Got in an argument with my sister about it, she pulled the "but it could be her last Thanksgiving".  I pulled the "Let's not make sure it's her last Thanksgiving".  Had it all worked out, mom would stay home, wife and I would bring her dinner and sit outdoors, or at least in the open garage.  Sis had to step in and change it all.

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My extended family needs to be strict ..since several siblings work in hospitals.  Then a sister's family has 2 children who go to school and there have been recent covid cases in schools in their city.  People have to understand just how complex and easy infection can occur....asymptomatic child comes home and could infect parents.  (This happened locally to one of our employees, covid from asymptomatic child.)  This is what my doctor-sister worries with her 2 children. And vice versa, SHE could infect her family.  She has no choice, when hubby goes to work (as post office delivery guy, another exposure) during work day hrs...while she works 12 hr. shifts, 3 consecutive days on every weekend. 

Then doctor-sister still occasionally sees my 86-yr. mother to deal with her doctor.  

the circle of potential infection is very real.  

So in my family, sacrifice of no celebration gatherings is highly respected and no hard feelings.  In fact, if someone started a family indoor celebration group..it would bother other family members:  Are you nuts?

 

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6 hours ago, Parr8hed said:

If you have it but don't post any of the pics on the facebooks then you will be safe from the Rona

Spoiler

:rolleyes:

To answer the thread question, I think that gatherings outside of your own immediate family (like people that you live with) is selfish and irresponsible.  Is a Turkey dinner so darn important that you willingly contribute to community spread?

If people were to insist on having a dinner with others, I think they should isolate, test and only meet if they are clear of illness.

We are doomed, if people don't stop acting selfish.

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So why is Thanksgiving so unique?   I'm sure there have been many family gatherings... 4th of July, weddings, funerals. birthdays, graduations, Labor Day, etc....  I remember seeing 'stimulus check parties' on the news.   

Many people get it and will have smaller or no family gathering.  Some won't...   

I haven't visited my 90 year old dad since July.  I don't want to be the guy who gets him sick.

That said..  WoBG and I will be visiting our daughter and grandson on Thanksgiving day.  

 

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16 minutes ago, Bikeguy said:

I haven't visited my 90 year old dad since July.  

 

I can honestly tell you that if I were your dad, I’d be saddened that you hadn’t visited me. 

I can’t and wouldn’t tell you what you should or shouldn’t do. And I try to be sensitive to the concerns of others.  But I can’t subscribe to the fear culture we are currently living under. 

I’m not a particularly social person. But I know this, humans are gregarious. And they need each other.  And I know this as well, death will come for each of us. When it comes for me, I do not want to be isolated living in fear.  I want to be living as best I can and close to those who love me. 

 

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24 minutes ago, Bikeguy said:

So why is Thanksgiving so unique?   I'm sure there have been many family gatherings... 4th of July, weddings, funerals. birthdays, graduations, Labor Day, etc....  I remember seeing 'stimulus check parties' on the news.   

Many people get it and will have smaller or no family gathering.  Some won't...   

I haven't visited my 90 year old dad since July.  I don't want to be the guy who gets him sick.

That said..  WoBG and I will be visiting our daughter and grandson on Thanksgiving day.  

 

The numbers just have been ramping up so badly, and I think they are bringing it up because of the enormous ramp after halloween.  

We have missed so many gatherings, because I care about the health care workers and the health of others.  I have gone to no parties at all, since last Christmas.

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12 minutes ago, Zealot said:

I can honestly tell you that if I were your dad, I’d be saddened that you hadn’t visited me. 

I can’t and wouldn’t tell you what you should or shouldn’t do. And I try to be sensitive to the concerns of others.  But I can’t subscribe to the fear culture we are currently living under. 

I’m not a particularly social person. But I know this, humans are gregarious. And they need each other.  And I know this as well, death will come for each of us. When it comes for me, I do not want to be isolated living in fear.  I want to be living as best I can and close to those who love me. 

Yeah... we talk on the phone, but that's not the same.   

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Actually, pretty appropriate to celebrate Thanksgiving by bringing a killer virus to people with no immunity to it.

I'm pretty concerned.  Our cases and hospitalizations are at all time highs, deaths are close and will be soon.  And Our federal government refuses to do anything, actually still downplaying it and encouraging people to spread it around.  I hear a LOT of people still planning to incubate for Thanksgiving, hey, it's our personal choice.

We are about to have a horrible Christmas in this country.

And there's no good reason for that, actually would have been far easier to prevent it than the damage we've done to ensure it.

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My mom just called. She’s coughing and her doctor advised her that we couldn’t visit this weekend. They really need the company but too many germs going around. 
We’ve made many trips to my parents this year, with my father in his final days. But I dread being the one to spread a germ that kills one of them. So we’re laying low. 

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On 11/17/2020 at 11:37 AM, bikeman564™ said:

how does a holiday get canceled?

To be more specific, it's the gathering and feast that gets cancelled, but notice that we not longer celebrate Guy Fawkes Night and light bonfires on Nov. 5 in the USA.

How it got cancelled I can't say.  People just liked it better that way.

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