Author Topic: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?  (Read 7813 times)

AnnaGrowsAMustache

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US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« on: October 25, 2020, 04:12:55 PM »
Some of you are in very unusual and restricted circumstances, and I was wondering how you're planning on celebrating in these strange times. I'd like some positive stories and good ideas for getting safely around covid for the holidays!

OtherJen

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2020, 05:54:39 AM »
I think it's too soon to determine this. I'm not even sure what to do about Thanksgiving next month. Last year, we hosted both sets of parents for a big dinner. This year, it may be just us, depending on whether my husband can remain socially distanced at his job and how much worse things get in Michigan (which reported 3300+ new daily cases a couple of days ago) in the next few weeks.

Kris

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #2 on: October 26, 2020, 05:57:53 AM »
My guess is it will be just the two of us, with a Zoom meeting gathering.

jrhampt

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #3 on: October 26, 2020, 06:03:50 AM »
Probably just the two of us, but we may try to do a brief outdoor visit with his parents since they live locally.  All my family are out of state and not within day tripping range.

Edited to add that usually we have 20+ people get togethers for Christmas or Thanksgiving, but we have 6 states and one other country represented with siblings and parents, and all except one fall under our state's travel restriction, and none of our households aside from my husband's parents (in their 80s) can isolate due to members working or going to school.  One sibling has in law with cancer right now and has to be extra careful on behalf of that parent.  We have been doing weekly-ish zoom calls with whatever family wants to attend over the past several months.  Sibling may come visit a couple of households individually on her way out of the country - they typically test you for covid if you fly into our airport at least.  At some point after my husband starts being able to work remotely I may try to see my out of state parents.  They are in a restricted state and we would have to quarantine afterwards which also would mean not seeing his parents for a couple of weeks.  I looked into getting tested pre or post visit since I would be driving and they are still discouraging people from getting tested unless they meet certain criteria (symptoms or known exposure to positive people).
« Last Edit: October 26, 2020, 06:41:41 AM by jrhampt »

bbqbonelesswing

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #4 on: October 26, 2020, 06:11:46 AM »
It's a bit early to say for sure, but chances are we will not be having a typical Christmas. My mom is going through chemo so we're trying to minimize exposure to covid (or anything else that might get her sick). We will likely just have a small get together with our immediate family. In normal years, Christmas is a multi-day blowout affair with families coming from different states. Maybe next year!

Travis

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #5 on: October 26, 2020, 06:31:12 AM »
A couple Skype calls back home, and probably a local dinner thing with some neighbors.

NotJen

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #6 on: October 26, 2020, 06:54:39 AM »
... I'd like some positive stories ...

Too soon to know if I will have a positive story or a depressing one!  I'm hoping that I can do a 2 week quarantine and individually visit my family members.  A gathering of my immediate family (parents, siblings, young nieces/nephews) has already been ruled out.

I'm unmarried with no kids.  If I can't visit my family, I'll be alone for the holiday and it will just be a regular day.

GuitarStv

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #7 on: October 26, 2020, 07:29:31 AM »
Probably the same as the rest of 2020  . . .  staying inside while the rest of the world does their best to give the virus to one another.

StarBright

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #8 on: October 26, 2020, 07:48:24 AM »
We are really looking forward to experimenting with a smaller, quieter Christmas in our own home this year. We usually alternate years travelling to his side or my side (a couple thousand miles or a couple hundred miles) so Christmas is always a big production of packing and shipping and boarding pets and we're always worn out by Christmas Day and big gatherings with 20-50 people. The kids have been begging to stay home the last couple of years. We had already scheduled staying home in 2021, but now we'll stay COVID safe and stay home this year too.

We are going to attempt a small new year's celebration with my parents and brother's family this year. We think we'll be able to pull off a two week quarantine in time for that. We've never done a New Year's thing so that might be fun!

Some things I am excited about for our distanced holiday this year:
  • On my side, several cousins, brother and I are good singers, so we're recording "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" in 4 part on the acappella app and sending it to all of our parents as a gift. That song just seems really appropriate and lovely for this year
  • On my Husband's side we are doing a Secret Santa by mail and it MUST contain one handmade thing (and anything else we want to send) and we are really looking forward to it.
  • In our little family we are each going to pick one "thing" to do for the holiday season and really lean into it to try and make this year special. We're thinking of pulling old fashioned Christmas traditions from old books (Little Women, Farmer Boy, Little House, Anne of Green Gables,etc).

It won't be perfect, and we'll miss our families, but we have found other ways to enjoy ourselves in this weird time and we'll make Christmas lovely too.

Just Joe

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #9 on: October 26, 2020, 12:04:26 PM »
I think - we'll probably stay home. We've tested the waters with our extended family recently on a masked day trip and part of them just won't wear a mask or make safe choices. COVID denial perhaps.

On the other hand we'll be able to isolate for a week or so prior. We could day trip but we'd be putting ourselves at risk. And if we are asymptomatic carriers well that wouldn't turn out well.

It'll be too cold to hang out outside.

Our nearly grown kids enthusiastically talk about staying home each year and then the closer we get to the holidays, the more they want to at least day trip and see everyone.

If DW and I choose to keep us home, I hope our youngins' can understand. They are both dealing with the isolation in their own ways. The eldest is having a harder time than our youngest who is more of a home body like we are.

We'll eat well and ZOOM with the relatives if nothing else.


ketchup

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #10 on: October 26, 2020, 12:07:41 PM »
Probably the same as the rest of 2020  . . .  staying inside while the rest of the world does their best to give the virus to one another.
This.  And I'm sure we'll hurt some feelings along the way.  Not everyone is playing by the same rules.  I kind of miss March/April where at least everyone knew what the plan was.

Laserjet3051

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #11 on: October 26, 2020, 01:01:00 PM »
Our family of 4 just bought airline tickets to Fort Lauderdale FL to visit family for 2 weeks xmas time. We will stay with mother in law / sister in law for the duration. Aside from seeing close family we havent seen in ages, i hope to get out and do some scuba diving / snorkeling in the FL Keys, kayaking in the everglades, swimming on south miami beach and maybe some fishing on the intracoastal. Will be nice to enjoy authentic haitian and cuban food again and see old friends.

Earlier this summer i flew on 6 different flights, after one of them i fell ill for 3 solid weeks but recovered. No fever or cough however who the hell knows what pathogen i caught, and this was even after wearing n95s on the flights.
« Last Edit: October 26, 2020, 01:05:10 PM by Laserjet3051 »

BicycleB

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #12 on: October 26, 2020, 07:23:59 PM »

  • On my side, several cousins, brother and I are good singers, so we're recording "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" in 4 part on the acappella app and sending it to all of our parents as a gift. That song just seems really appropriate and lovely for this year

That's so cool!

The rest is cool too, I just liked this. :)

Just Joe

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #13 on: October 27, 2020, 07:52:44 AM »
Is everyone decorating/shopping/cooking/baking harder this year to possibly make up for an inability to socialize with family or friends?

YttriumNitrate

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #14 on: October 27, 2020, 08:00:49 AM »
We're doing a family gathering, but with everyone pre-quarantining. My son is excited to get an extra week of Christmas vacation.

Last year, our house had 10,000 lights timed to Christmas music. This year, it will have 20,000+.

StarBright

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #15 on: October 27, 2020, 08:19:51 AM »

  • On my side, several cousins, brother and I are good singers, so we're recording "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" in 4 part on the acappella app and sending it to all of our parents as a gift. That song just seems really appropriate and lovely for this year

That's so cool!

The rest is cool too, I just liked this. :)

Thanks :) we are excited. One of my cousins has a daughter that plays double bass so she wants to lay down a bass line for us and apparently another cousin's child wants to be in it too so they are trying to find a fiddle part. We're like Appalachian Von Trapps :)
« Last Edit: October 27, 2020, 08:51:21 AM by StarBright »

Just Joe

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #16 on: October 27, 2020, 11:19:50 AM »
We're doing a family gathering, but with everyone pre-quarantining.

I really wish we could get a certain part of our family to do that so we could all be together. Partly b/c they'll never be able to get that much time off.

YttriumNitrate

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #17 on: October 27, 2020, 01:54:01 PM »
We're doing a family gathering, but with everyone pre-quarantining.
I really wish we could get a certain part of our family to do that so we could all be together. Partly b/c they'll never be able to get that much time off.
We're lucky in that just about everyone A) is now working from home, B) is retired, C) is in school, or D) has a ton of vacation days saved up thanks to their travel plans being cancelled this year.

frugalnacho

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #18 on: October 27, 2020, 01:58:09 PM »
We are probably going on lock down.  The kids are going back to school soon, and once they do we are cutting off all physical contact with those family members and friends.  I'm going to visit my mother this weekend, and then we are isolating (besides once a week grocery trips and me going to work) after that and probably won't see much of anyone for the rest of the winter.  After we isolate for 2 weeks after visiting my mother, we are planning to only maintain contact with my mother in law, and she is planning to have no contact with anyone but us.  So I anticipate spending thanksgiving and christmas with just the MIL and FIL.  Maybe this coronavirus fad will mysteriously disappear on november 4th like a lot of people are saying.  Or more likely it's not a hoax, but all those assholes that believe it's a hoax are going to make everything even worse and it's going to be a very dark winter. 

MasterStache

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #19 on: October 28, 2020, 06:20:44 AM »
Nadda. Just another day to us. Kids will open a couple presents. That's about it.

Sibley

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #20 on: October 28, 2020, 07:46:11 AM »
Everything is too soon to tell. I just figured out what I'm doing for Halloween last weekend! (Nothing. I'm turning off the lights and hiding.)

I generally go to a friend's house in town for Thanksgiving. That is probably still doable (my low exposure, their higher exposure but hyper cautious behavior). The past several years my parents and sister have come to my house for Christmas. That is probably not happening.

@StarBright, it's pretty bad when your kids want a quieter Christmas. I'm guessing that you're getting family pressure on all sides. Your kids are more important.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #21 on: October 28, 2020, 07:50:21 AM »
We will travel to our vacation house, quarantine there & then see my family. (a couple hours drive from our vacation house).
« Last Edit: October 28, 2020, 04:25:59 PM by MaybeBabyMustache »

NotJen

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #22 on: October 28, 2020, 07:51:06 AM »
Is everyone decorating/shopping/cooking/baking harder this year to possibly make up for an inability to socialize with family or friends?

I don't do decorating or shopping, and don't plan to start either this year.

Definitely will do more baking - I'm hoping to gift local friends with an assortment of cookies, if we can manage an outdoor "picnic" once December rolls around.


I just figured out what I'm doing for Halloween last weekend! (Nothing. I'm turning off the lights and hiding.)

That's my usual Halloween (I'm a Halloween grinch) - I don't have kids, so I'm really not excited about having random ones show up at my door even in normal years.

martyconlonontherun

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #23 on: October 28, 2020, 08:44:23 AM »
Flying from WI to AZ to visit in-laws with 6 month old. Probably the 'riskiest' thing we have done since we don't eat out or go anywhere. Bought him a seat so we have the whole row to ourselves, have pre check so hopefully less time in line and will go straight to the back during on-boarding so no one is coughing behind us.

In-laws are low 60s but great shape. They don't like socializing in normal times so have been quarantining. Plan is to go hiking and hang out together. Wife is having major anxiety but I think it will be fine and relatively safe. Yeah, I'm contributing to the possible societal spread but honestly feel I'm in the upper quartile of respecting social distance, limiting contact with others, not going to the gym/restaurants/anything indoors. Don't even do take-out.

turketron

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #24 on: October 28, 2020, 08:51:03 AM »
Another "too soon to tell," but probably "nothing" as WI is a shitshow right now- even though we have probably 15+ family members less than half an hour away we have no plans for anything in-person for Thanksgiving. We have two of our closest friend couples that live about half a mile away from us, and we're planning on a group bubble for the six of us (no kids, no one is working anywhere in-person) for most of the winter just to stay sane. So we may do something just with us as a group; even though half of us have family and parents in town that we'd love to see in person, unless things drastically change here in the next couple months that's not going to happen.

The last week or two of December and the first week of January is generally a pretty quiet time at my company so I'm definitely planning on taking plenty of time off, but we just do much outside of the house.

jrhampt

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #25 on: October 28, 2020, 10:20:33 AM »
Assuming I'm still living with SO who is apparently attempting to kill me off with covid because he jus HAS to play volleyball (just semi-joking here), we will likely just hang out near home and go hiking or biking and eat enormous amounts of food. No real family on either of our sides so would do something similar anyways.

HAHAHAHA!!!  I also have a spouse addicted to volleyball.  It is a special kind of addiction...He's been playing twos while wearing a mask and mostly outdoors so far, no tournaments, only 1-2 nets.  So it's a calculated risk, but still a risk.

talltexan

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #26 on: October 28, 2020, 01:36:17 PM »
My wife and I alternate between sides of the family for Christmas. This year would normally be my parents' year, but they live in Texas, and the people in charge of Texas don't seem very interested in slowing the kinds of interactions that spread the virus.

Sugaree

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #27 on: October 28, 2020, 01:38:44 PM »
I'll be working* the week between xmas and new year's....
















*watching bowl games (hopefully) on TV at my office in case someone tries to call me.

BicycleB

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #28 on: October 28, 2020, 02:11:29 PM »
I'll be working* the week between xmas and new year's....
















*watching bowl games (hopefully) on TV at my office in case someone tries to call me.

LOL.

@Sugaree's Sugar Bowl workweek!

BicycleB

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #29 on: October 28, 2020, 02:12:16 PM »
Having step-kids, and having to share them with their exceptionally challenging/mentally challenged bio-mom, the DH and I created a Christmas tradition years ago of a junk food/movie marathon on “the day”.  Their mother’s inability to plan / follow through was really hard on the kids, so we learned not even try to schedule anything thereby avoiding dashed hopes and disappointment.  That way she could scoop them up any time she got lonely or bored, and literally “dump” them off the minute she got a better offer (not always remembering to drop them near our house/road/side of town).

Quick cook food (baked mozerella sticks, jalapeno poppers, breaded nuggets of any sort, basically “food in a box” from the freezer section) was a treat in our slow-foods, whole-foods house while the kids were growing up and I came to enjoy the low pressure, no expectations, practically no-cook holiday. The kids could arrive/depart at any moment and there was always something ready to eat and a space on the couch to cuddle.

The kids grew up into delightfully responsible adults and moved out on their own, but the junk food marathon tradition continued.  Fast forward to the pandemic in which the DH is stuck at home and I (the primary cook) am still working full time outside the house, and we’re eating convenient “food in a box” more often than we’d like.  This year, Christmas will be a full on, old fashioned, slow-cook feast for two.   We’re both looking forward to the sights and smells of preparing favorite foods from scratch, stuffing ourselves silly, and having leftovers for days.  Everything will stop when the kids call from their respective safe bubbles of course, but we’re both looking forward to a warm house full of contented pets dozing in front of the fire.  There may or may not be a brisk walk outside, but the pleasure of considering it while not actually having to get off the couch is appealing.

This will be the kids’ first Christmas since their mother passed away.  Not being able to / not having to visit either parent because we’re living in strange times may actually make this milestone easier for them.  Changing up the tradition will certainly make it special for us.

That sounds like a very fine holiday well earned.

WhiteTrashCash

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #30 on: October 29, 2020, 11:39:21 AM »
I don't want my family members to get sick and die so we'll probably be doing Christmas on our own. Probably opening our presents. Watching Christmas movies. Having Christmas dinner while skypeing/facetiming with relatives. That sort of thing. We'll try to keep the season as well as we can.

jrhampt

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #31 on: October 29, 2020, 11:42:23 AM »
Assuming I'm still living with SO who is apparently attempting to kill me off with covid because he jus HAS to play volleyball (just semi-joking here), we will likely just hang out near home and go hiking or biking and eat enormous amounts of food. No real family on either of our sides so would do something similar anyways.

HAHAHAHA!!!  I also have a spouse addicted to volleyball.  It is a special kind of addiction...He's been playing twos while wearing a mask and mostly outdoors so far, no tournaments, only 1-2 nets.  So it's a calculated risk, but still a risk.

I’m a recovering volleyball addict.  When we moved south, I just assumed there would be adult volleyball leagues in/near my new location.  There weren’t.  I was devastated.  Detox was painful.  Now I’m volleyball clean but in need of a fix.
I'm still a current VB addict and the jealousy of him playing and me not wanting to because of covid is killing me (emotionally only though). He left an hour ago to play beach doubles (unmasked) so I'm feeling sorry for myself and pouty. WAH!

Yeah...he didn't play for ages when our numbers were high, and we have friends who stopped playing and still haven't played at all...and other friends who have been carrying on doing tournaments as usual.  This is more of a middle ground, but I wish he was into tennis or golf or something else, though.  I myself haven't taken a group fitness class or been to a yoga studio in eight months because I think it's just too risky.  I've been biking, kayaking, running, and hiking, mostly all solo.  But I do miss it.

John Galt incarnate!

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #32 on: October 29, 2020, 02:35:46 PM »

just the two of us


+1

I will visit Beloved SO at her house or she will visit me at my house.

economista

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #33 on: October 29, 2020, 02:58:55 PM »
We normally travel to see both sets of our families over Christmas/New Years. They are 18 and 22 hours away from us (and 4 hours away from each other). My family thinks it is all a hoax so I am very glad that we have a better excuse than just covid to avoid the travel this year. I am pregnant and my due date is the first week of January!

Just Joe

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #34 on: October 29, 2020, 03:04:41 PM »
Congrats and take care of yourself! Let the fun begin!

moneypitfeeder

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #35 on: November 08, 2020, 04:05:56 PM »
We don't normally do much for Thanksgiving, so it'll just be me and SO at home having a bit more fancy dinner than normal. Christmas, we'll go back to where my family is. The only person in my family I think we will see in-person is my mom, we'll stay there. She doesn't go out much and we don't either, mostly the grocery here and there (and masked). We normally do the eve dinner with family and this year we are going to drive over, drop presents and maybe some cookies, go back to mom's and zoom or webex a present-opening meeting online. We all agreed to do kids-only gifting so that we aren't stuck on a telecon all night.

Just Joe

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #36 on: November 09, 2020, 09:55:35 AM »
Well COVID has a grip on one family member's home.

If it goes person to person, it makes it highly unlikely they should attend any family gathering at Thanksgiving. Perhaps Christmas too.

The extended family group has high risk members.

The sick folks generally follow the Trump COVID guidance instead of the medical experts.

Just another reason for us to stay home.

talltexan

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #37 on: November 11, 2020, 08:15:54 AM »
It feels like it's been about three weeks since we scrubbed the idea of driving from NC to MO to visit my wife's side of the family for Thanksgiving. Since then, cases in MO are increasing at double the average rate of the US, while they closed down the schools in my BiLs town for an extra week to try to get a handle.

think we're making the right call on this one!

OtherJen

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #38 on: November 11, 2020, 09:17:34 AM »
My dad will finish up cancer treatment a week before Thanksgiving. Case numbers are climbing so rapidly in MI that city buildings and school districts in the area are closing in-person services again. We've scrapped the idea of any sort of family Thanksgiving dinner. We'll get a small turkey for ourselves, make a pie and a few side dishes, and see if Mom and Dad would like a care package (or at least some pie).

It sucks. Every year, we either drive up the night before Thanksgiving to visit the in-laws and help cook at their house the next day, or my mom and I have lunch, pick up the turkey, and start doing our food prep on the day before Thanksgiving.

I'll start mailing everyone's Christmas gifts in early December because I don't think it will be at all possible to see SIL and her family (all in public schools in an area with a big outbreak). Maybe we'll set up a family Zoom and all open presents together, at least.

wenchsenior

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #39 on: November 11, 2020, 10:52:38 AM »
Our county just cracked the top ten list for deaths per capita b/c Covid is absolutely batshit out of control here, so we're planning exactly nothing for the holidays that involves others.  Maybe go birdwatching if the waterfowl are around and the weather is good, but we usually do that on Xmas anyway.

I hate cooking, but I'm trying to gear myself up mentally to try a couple new holiday type dishes, with the excuse of 'there's nothing much else to do, why not expand your limited holiday inventory?"

OtherJen

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #40 on: November 11, 2020, 11:02:01 AM »
Our county just cracked the top ten list for deaths per capita b/c Covid is absolutely batshit out of control here, so we're planning exactly nothing for the holidays that involves others.  Maybe go birdwatching if the waterfowl are around and the weather is good, but we usually do that on Xmas anyway.

I hate cooking, but I'm trying to gear myself up mentally to try a couple new holiday type dishes, with the excuse of 'there's nothing much else to do, why not expand your limited holiday inventory?"

That's lovely! Maybe we'll go hiking and come home to a quiet meal.

wenchsenior

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #41 on: November 11, 2020, 11:18:28 AM »
We had great weather last year, saw tons of different duck species.  It was really nice.

Just Joe

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #42 on: November 11, 2020, 02:44:40 PM »
DW and I decided last night that we are staying home. COVID in a relative's house who might attend. Not sure if everyone in that house is actually isolating.

I think we'll use some of the good ideas from this thread to reinvent the day. Zoom or something similar will need to be a good substitute.

if by Christmas isn't any different, we'll make the same choices.

Thanks for the ideas!

big_owl

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #43 on: November 11, 2020, 03:33:47 PM »
We usually go backpacking in the Dolly Sods wilderness in WV. Upside is we don't see a single person for days.  Downside is if anything bad happens one of us probably dies.

jrhampt

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #44 on: November 12, 2020, 06:34:21 AM »
We may also go backpacking if the weather isn't completely miserable.  Probably also a Zoom call with family and a slightly pared-down menu since it will be for two instead of twenty.

Hadilly

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #45 on: November 12, 2020, 06:56:41 AM »
I am going to use the King Arthur Flour recipe to make stollen as a gift. My two set  of parents are local, so we may try for a couple of socially distanced hikes. I think it will be too cold to eat outside. My kids are either in school or in small pods, and while I feel fine about our exposure level, I’m not going indoors or unmasked with my folks.

I think we will eat yummy food, open presents, ride bikes, go to the beach or hike and have a chill week.

talltexan

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #46 on: November 19, 2020, 06:22:41 AM »
Update: confirmed positive tests for 5% of the population of my BiL's home county (in Missouri). My own elderly parents are in TX, the only fixed rule right now is that we would visit them FIRST before going to BiL. I have allies in the NC part of the family who want to scrub the travel completely.


TheFrenchCat

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #47 on: November 19, 2020, 06:42:06 PM »
My friends and I, who have been keeping in touch well virtually, are having a cookie exchange through the mail.  We each picked a kind of cookie and will mail 6 of them to each other, so we have a good sampling.  I'll probably make some cookie trays to deliver to people more locally, since cookies are normally my thing.

Our families do Christmas and Hanukkah, so we'll probably do Zooms for both.  Hanukkah is normally pretty simple for us, so that will stay the same apart from visiting family, so that shouldn't change much.

The day of Christmas, I'm not 100% sure of yet.  We'll get a tree if any of the farms are open, since that would be outside and put up lights in our sun porch like normal.  We'd normally go to church on Christmas morning, but that's not happening.  We'll stream that from somewhere.  For Christmas Eve, we're making the traditional meal for my husband's family, which is homemade pierogi, lima bean soup and fried fish.  Maybe if the cases aren't too bad we'll go see the in-laws down the street outside, distanced, etc.  On Christmas morning we'll have presents, cinnamon rolls, and breakfast with bacon.  Then I'm debating making homemade gnocchi (the only kind I acknowledge) and a ham, though I'll have to scale back the gnocchi.  I normally make enough to stuff 8 people with just that.  Maybe it will be nice to enjoy the holidays with just the three of us. 

OtherJen

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #48 on: November 19, 2020, 09:08:31 PM »
Yeah, it's Thanksgiving dinner for just the two of us this year. I had made my peace with that. Oddly, the gut punch was the announcement that there would be no live Detroit Thanksgiving parade for the first time since 1944. That's a Detroit institution. I have never not watched the live broadcast while prepping food on Thanksgiving morning. You watch the parade, and then you watch the Lions lose. I bet the Lions will win on Thursday, just to make things extra surreal.

DarkandStormy

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Re: US posters, what do you have planned for Christmas?
« Reply #49 on: November 20, 2020, 09:32:09 AM »
https://covid19risk.biosci.gatech.edu/

You can use this site to track how likely it is someone in a group of 10 (and up to 100) has covid, by county.  You can also switch between 5x and 10x the reported # of cases - some use 10x, but I think most say 5x is accurate.  Given we, as a country, are running near a 10% positivity rate, the current case count is vastly underestimated.