The COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful and isolating for many people, and while gatherings during the upcoming holidays are usually an opportunity to reconnect with family and friends, this holiday season many people’s holiday plans will be modified to reduce the spread of COVID-19 to keep friends, families, and communities healthy and safe. 

Those who have COVID or who have had contact with those who have COVID can’t really celebrate because they can’t leave their houses to be with their families either so that will affect how they will celebrate Thanksgiving this year. 

English teacher Heidi Siegrist-Ragan is one of those people who is doing Thanksgiving a little bit differently this year. “This year because of COVID I can’t really spend it with my family. We would usually celebrate at the homes of extended family members, alternating between both sides of the family. Even if I can’t spend it with my family I look on the bright side: this year I can enjoy cooking at home without rushing to go anywhere,” she said. “I hope to make my family’s traditional recipe of lefse myself this year. I am excited to try it out all on my own for the first time!. But even through that I will still enjoy Thanksgiving because this year is even more to be thankful for and I have so many people to be thankful for; whether we will be together or not they will be in my heart.  

Some people have decided to celebrate virtually by setting up a Zoom call with their families. i “Instead of having a large gathering at my Nana and Bapa’s house we will be having small household family dinners with a Zoom meeting,” freshman Benjamin Cairns said. 

If people do actually travel and get together with family the CDC is urging them to take precautions like wearing masks, having separate eating spaces for each immediate family, and opening windows to keep air flowing. Social Studies teacher Cheryl Kingma-Kiekhofer is spending her Thanksgiving with just some of her family. “We will not be seeing my husband’s parents because we want to protect them from COVID. The people who are coming, which are my mom and my sister and my immediate family, will all be taking COVID tests before Thanksgiving and quarantining before Thanksgiving,”she said. 

Since the number of cases is rising, Governor Evers, as well as Dr. Anthony Fauci, have asked people to reconsider getting together with anyone for the holiday. They are suggesting that people should stay home because large gatherings have caused the number of COVID cases to rise and if more and more people get it then the pandemic will never end. 

Senior Alanna Swenski won’t be spending Thanksgiving with all her family. ¨My family’s Thanksgiving typically starts off with brunch while we watch the Macy’s Day parade, but I believe this year the parade is “virtual”, so our day will already begin with a change in tradition,” she said. “Normally, our cousins, aunts, and uncles would also all come to our house to celebrate, which is always super fun, as we don’t get to see this part of the family a lot. This year, however, we decided to play it safe, so we will not be having our extended family over, which is an unwanted but necessary change. We always end with parts of the family going Black Friday shopping – people don’t normally leave our house until 11pm, so some of us decide to just go shopping until like 2/3 am for early Black Friday shopping. But, we also won’t be doing that this year either,¨ she said. 

Freshman Samantha Sarenac feels that people should listen to the experts but she knows that not everyone will. “I have lots to say on this topic, starting with the cancellation of the Dickens of a Village’s play. I was already informed it will be happening this year and considering the usual turn-out it does not seem like the safest option,” she said. “Holiday season is usually the time I see the most people out of all the year, for example my five Christmases that will probably not happen this year. At most maybe two (please note these celebrations are with all different friends and family). Truly I do not believe you can ever dull the Christmas spirit; however, I do believe many traditions will be broken,¨ she said.

Although it won’t be the same celebration for most, students and staff are looking forward to a break from school and getting to spend time with their immediate families.