In pre-COVID times, November meant gathering with friends and family to consider all that you’re thankful for while stuffing yourself full of turkey and mashed potatoes. As we all know, 2020 has thrown a major wrench in these traditions. This year Friendsgiving looks entirely different, so we’ve come up with a guide to a COVID-conscious Friendsgiving celebration!
Take precautions
First and foremost, it is incredibly important to consider the risks of hosting a friendsgiving. If you are considering hosting or attending a gathering of any sort, make sure that you are taking local guidelines and ordinances into account. Doing so will help to keep everyone safe and healthy!
Consider the guest list
When creating your Friendsgiving guest list, you should consider whether or not your guests are likely to be COVID-positive. Additionally, it would be helpful to have an understanding of who may or may not have antibodies so that you can fully understand the risks that could come with an in-person gathering. And again, ensure that you’re taking any local rules and guidelines into consideration. Ultimately, the best option for an in-person Friendsgiving guest list only includes your immediate “bubble.”
Set safety procedures ahead of time
If you plan to host this year’s Friendsgiving gathering, it’s important to set your own safety guidelines ahead of time. Establishing these guidelines in advance will help keep everyone on the same page. First and foremost, take social distancing into account. An easy way to do this is to space out chairs by at least 6’ during your dinner setup. Additionally, requiring guests to wear masks whenever possible could be helpful in preventing the spread of the virus. Finally, put some thought into how you will distribute food. A safe way to do this could be by designating one person to distribute food, which would reduce the number of people handling the food and touching the utensils.
Consider a virtual Friendsgiving
Ultimately, the only way to ensure that everyone is safe during your Friendsgiving celebration is to host it virtually! Plus, a virtual Friendsgiving means more friends, less worry, and most importantly, more fun!
