The holidays are a time where you spend time with family. This year, many are adapting their celebrations due to the pandemic. The CDC recommends that for this holiday season, people should not travel, as you could unknowingly carry the virus and infect many, or be infected yourself. To limit exposure for you and others, there are ways to take your old traditions and change them so that they fit pandemic guidelines. 

1.  Schedule a time with family or friends where you can  Zoom or otherwise video chat during holiday dinners, or just to chat and catch up with each other.  You’ll be able to spend time with your loved ones, while helping to limit the possible exposure to COVID-19 and keep everyone safe. This is the safest way of getting together during the pandemic.

2. If you are hosting a holiday dinner, the safest thing is to host it outside, where there is natural ventilation and the risks of exposure aren’t as high. People attending should also wear masks and stay six feet apart from the other guests. Meals should be contactless to stop the spread of germs, and hand sanitizer can be accessible so no one has to enter the home to wash their hands.

3. Having a simple dinner with your immediate family is still as memorable as getting together with your extended family, and it is much more safe. As much as you want to see your extended family this year, there are ways to celebrate with them from your own homes, so you can keep everyone safe.

This year we all have to take our old traditions and change them to make it safer for everyone. Making sure to keep yourself safe and others safe should be a priority for this year, so hopefully next year, all our circumstances will be different.