There’s something undeniably cheery about the arrival of the festive season. It’s that time of the year when uncle Bob’s hilarious stories take the center stage at the dinner table. Family, Food and Football, perhaps you get to watch the Packers in action! What more could you ask from the day? Although, this time around, the pandemic seems to have dampened the festive spirit to an extent.
There’s an understandable nervousness around the idea of driving down to your family and relatives’ place on Turkey Day. But we’re here to tell you that adapting the festival with the new normal is certainly a possibility, albeit one which needs to be considered with precaution. The same level of precaution and care you take to make sure that the Turkey doesn’t burn to crisps in the oven.
This Thanksgiving, we’re here to help you turn that frown upside down, and stuff you with the same amount of goodness that you stuff your Turkey with!
Planning For The Host
Are you planning to host your family for Thanksgiving 2020? Alright then don’t let the gargantuan challenge that lies ahead of you derail your planning. First thing’s first, you have to make sure that you get your hands on the Turkey Day Specials like Cranberries, Pumpkin, Taters and the whole deal, much in advance. Make the occasion uplifting and throw in a few bottles of Girasole Chardonnay there as well. They go well with the scrumptious birdy!
Next step, think of how much cooking you can handle by yourself. If you’re expecting the entire family tree to pop by, you might want to consider shelling out a few moolahs and buying some of the dishes to take the load off of you. You could easily buy Green Bean Casserole and Pumpkin Pie for the entire extended family from restaurants around you. These days, you can even purchase a well-cooked, crispy yet tender mega turkey. On the other hand, preparing Cranberry Sauce and Mashed Potatoes should be a piece of cake.
The Thanksgiving Dinner Table
Another thing you could do is set-up your backyard with tables, fairy lights, pumpkin baskets and perhaps even a tiny bonfire, if that’s a possibility. The outdoor setup not only makes the experience more refreshing, it also expresses the openness with which the festive spirit embraces us all. Besides, open spaces also help with adapting to the new normal. As a host, you’d really have your job cut out for you. But if you have a patio, you sure are lucky!
You’re kind of worried about the food going cold outside, isn’t it? Fret not! There’s always aluminium foils, electrical food warmers and the entire cavalry that you can summon. There’s another page you can rip off our book to pep up the dinner set-up or make it all the more casual. Instead of going the traditional way, you could have a cozy backyard dinner with fluffy mattresses and beanbags in the picture, or simply put a mat and turn it into a picnic.
Festive Shenanigans
You probably kept yourself starving to gobble up the delectable Turkey Day fiesta served for you. But now the incessant food coma has got you turning into a couch potato. So while you’re lazily licking away that gravy mustache, some Taboo with your family can be a fun way to bond in the warm company of your family amidst the winter chills. There’s also Mad Libs that is sure to bring a few chuckles and giggles and keep the merrymaking lingering on.
By this point, you will start to feel the grub going down your inflated tummy and your spirit lifting higher. So what better time to indulge in some Thanksgiving Charades? It’s a great opportunity to get on your feet and shrug off the shy Charlie Brown in you, if only to turn into a rather festive Tom Hanks. It will probably do you a world of good and help you digest that last piece of irresistible pecan pie you told yourself you shouldn’t have, but then devoured it anyway.
Also Read: 5 Best Food Festivals in Texas 2021
So Far Yet So Close!
Amidst the whole family reunion and festivities, it’s easy to miss the loved ones who couldn’t make it to your place. But hey, technology to the rescue – so there’s still a way to involve them into your celebrations and make sure they don’t feel left out. Plan a video conference call with the entire family tree squeezing into the frame. To pep it up, you could turn the video call into a virtual thanksgiving acapella gig, with everyone breaking into the famous tunes like We Gather Together and the chucklesome Thanksgiving Song by Adam Sandler.
This is bound to create some fun, heartwarming memories you would want to cherish till the end of days. At the same time, you could also set up the camera and video call for the post-grub games as well. After all, the more the merrier, isn’t it? Just a word of advice, don’t get overtly spirited and clink your cocktail glass against the camera too hard. It would make for a funny embarrassing story, but probably wouldn’t bode well for those virtual guests.
All things said and done, the new normal isn’t ideal, but you could still enjoy a warm and safe Thanksgiving in the company of those you love. You could always ask a couple of your relatives or cousins to pop by a few days sooner to lend you a hand and help make it one of the most memorable Thanksgiving celebrations of all time.
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