Thanksgiving is going to be radically different this year due to the pandemic. The second wave of COVID-19 is already in place in many parts of Canada. In Ontario, we are currently allowed to have no more than 10 people gathered indoors, and there have been reports that Premier Ford may reduce that number. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in his recent throne speech, “It’s all too likely we won’t be gathering for Thanksgiving,” but Thanksgiving during Coronavirus can still take place as long as we follow the social distancing protocols.
In my family, my stepmother has been in the habit of hosting Thanksgiving at her home because she has a large enough dining table to seat all 20 of us! Of course, this cannot take place this year since 20 people is over the provincial indoor limit.
My mother and I (we share a house) are planning on having a low-key Thanksgiving. We’ll buy a small turkey and prepare the trimmings e.g. Butternut squash soup, roast potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts, stuffing and gravy. If I don’t feel like chopping up the Butternut squash for the soup, I will make Curried Carrot Soup with Apple , which is perfect for a fall dinner. We might invite my brother over depending on his availability. We’ll miss the large family get-together, but this year, we have no choice.
Here are a few activities you can enjoy during Thanksgiving:
Rake leaves
While the turkey is roasting, go outside and get some fresh air while raking the leaves from your lawn. The colourful, crisp leaves will quickly put you in a fall mood, plus your lawn will look a lot better when the snow falls.
Fall Walk
If the leaves have already been raked in your backyard, you might want to go for a lovely fall walk (weather permitting) to work up an appetite. One of my favourite parks for a fall walk is Rosetta McClain Gardens with its stunning century-old evergreens and view of Lake Ontario. Here are some other places to go for fall colour walks in the GTA.
Make a Thanksgiving Dinner Table Decoration
I love these Apple Votives from EAB Designs! They are super easy to make and feature natural ingredients that you can probably find at home. I also love this Thanksgiving Centerpiece with Roses, Mums and Broom Cob in a Pumpkin Vase from JSH Home Essentials, but this will take a bit of planning ahead in order to buy fresh flowers and a pumpkin!
Zoom Thanksgiving Prayer with Relatives
Set your laptop or tablet on the dinner table and coordinate a time where you will all begin Thanksgiving dinner. You can say a Thanksgiving prayer together. If you aren’t going to be eating at the same time, save your Zoom call for dessert when everyone can enjoy their pumpkin pie together.
Thanksgiving during Coronavirus will be a scaled-down event this year, but hopefully, you can make the best of the situation and enjoy your turkey dinner with those in your bubble.
