California Thanksgiving Day Guidelines

Our immediate family consists of 22 people. We are not distanced from one another and several of each household are tested on a regular basis. We have had family gatherings for MONTHS! Thanksgiving IS on! I feel safer in my own home than the grocery store.
 
We just had Thanksgiving here in Canada.

Our rules were only have Thanksgiving with your household period. So basically it was a nicer supper with turkey. Talked to family on devices.

People didn’t follow those simple rules and now our numbers have gone way up again 2 weeks later. It’s crazy. Now people want to do Halloween this weekend . Can’t see this turning out well either.

even though Canada's numbers are rising, it is rising from a lower number than the US. the rising case numbers in Canada wouldn't even raise an eyebrow in the US.

I find it useful to look at the numbers when adjusted for population, Canada is about 6,700 per million. the US is 27,800 per million.

I live in So Cal. People will not follow these guidelines. People have been having large parties in my neighborhood throughout the pandemic.

I looked up the numbers, California it is 24,700 per million. Los Angeles County is 30,800 per million.
 
Our immediate family consists of 22 people. We are not distanced from one another and several of each household are tested on a regular basis. We have had family gatherings for MONTHS! Thanksgiving IS on! I feel safer in my own home than the grocery store.

Will you be wearing masks at Thanksgiving like most grocery stores require? If you think someone can’t spread covid to you just because they are family, I have news for you 🤣 Your home is only safer if there’s no outsiders in it. In fact, much of the spread is starting at informal and formal family and friend get togethers and parties where people are unmasked and have a false sense of comfort.
 


This hits the nail on the head and it's why myself and others have been calling some adults 'children' and 'toddlers'. They want their ice cream but they aren't willing to put in the work to get it, they just want it now! Regardless of the repercussions.

Here’s part of the reason for the Covid fatigue.

Many have been doing it right. They postpone large gatherings and parties to stop the spread. They look at other countries who are doing it right. And see them opening up to semi-normalcy (I know Europe has shut down again). Then they see a larger spread in the US. Because many won’t follow the rules.

Those who have been doing it right are now frustrated. And, knowing they won’t get back to normal anytime soon, they just give up.
 
Will you be wearing masks at Thanksgiving like most grocery stores require? If you think someone can’t spread covid to you just because they are family, I have news for you 🤣 Your home is only safer if there’s no outsiders in it. In fact, much of the spread is starting at informal and formal family and friend get togethers and parties where people are unmasked and have a false sense of comfort.
I didn't say family members can't infect each other. It's not news either. 😉
And to answer you first question...no. We do not cover up at home.
 
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Here’s part of the reason for the Covid fatigue.

Many have been doing it right. They postpone large gatherings and parties to stop the spread. They look at other countries who are doing it right. And see them opening up to semi-normalcy (I know Europe has shut down again). Then they see a larger spread in the US. Because many won’t follow the rules.

Those who have been doing it right are now frustrated. And, knowing they won’t get back to normal anytime soon, they just give up.
Yes, Europe "did it right" but the virus didn't care.
 


Here’s part of the reason for the Covid fatigue.

Many have been doing it right. They postpone large gatherings and parties to stop the spread. They look at other countries who are doing it right. And see them opening up to semi-normalcy (I know Europe has shut down again). Then they see a larger spread in the US. Because many won’t follow the rules.

Those who have been doing it right are now frustrated. And, knowing they won’t get back to normal anytime soon, they just give up.
If that's really how some people feel well wouldn't that be a self-fulfilling prophecy? I understand throwing up your hands and saying to the heck with it if people won't do it neither will I but at that point you lose the ability to truthfully criticize and complain about other people, you've decided to join them after all. You've made your bed you get to lie in it as well, glass houses and all that, etc.

COVID fatigue exists in multiple forms though. People who blame other people for not being able to get back to normal anytime soon aren't really paying attention to science nor paying attention to other countries either. From my observation I found that most, not all, who feel that way seem to have thought this virus and a global pandemic were more of a temporary, short-term time period. It never really was going to be that way, it was fairly evident early on this virus is tenacious and spreading quicker and more undetected. Other countries have been able to control the virus much better than the U.S. but none of them are going to be able to get back to normal anytime soon despite that. Because of how we are in the U.S. we may take longer than they would (we'll have to see on that) but still it was never going to be anytime soon sort of thing.

As far as doing it right? Let's be honest most people have done something this isn't perfect 100% adhering to every single guideline. I know I haven't and I've been pretty cautious, but I'm okay saying that. But I'm far less critical of everyone else than some people on here that I've seen. Mostly I just wish people would wear masks correctly but even I've stopped myself from being hyper aware of that because I was really starting to stress myself out over it.
 
Here’s part of the reason for the Covid fatigue.

Many have been doing it right. They postpone large gatherings and parties to stop the spread. They look at other countries who are doing it right. And see them opening up to semi-normalcy (I know Europe has shut down again). Then they see a larger spread in the US. Because many won’t follow the rules.

Those who have been doing it right are now frustrated. And, knowing they won’t get back to normal anytime soon, they just give up.


I don’t think I know anyone that has been doing it right and then gave up. People I know that have been doing it right, still are. And those that weren’t following the guidelines still aren’t. But maybe that’s just me.
 
I don’t think I know anyone that has been doing it right and then gave up. People I know that have been doing it right, still are. And those that weren’t following the guidelines still aren’t. But maybe that’s just me.
I agree and think some have become even more efficient over time. Guidelines vary too...state to state also by counties.
 
My mother was going downhill mentally fast and looked alarmingly bad when I finally started visiting her outside at her house. After lots of visits this summer, she is doing much better. Friends of mine have lost family members due to mental health issues exacerbated by pandemic loneliness. We will be having Thanksgiving as safe as possible. There are worse things than Covid.
 
Here’s part of the reason for the Covid fatigue.

Many have been doing it right. They postpone large gatherings and parties to stop the spread. They look at other countries who are doing it right. And see them opening up to semi-normalcy (I know Europe has shut down again). Then they see a larger spread in the US. Because many won’t follow the rules.

Those who have been doing it right are now frustrated. And, knowing they won’t get back to normal anytime soon, they just give up.
And even so, being is isolation is just torture. It isn't easy for anyone to give everything up especially at the holidays.
 
And even so, being is isolation is just torture. It isn't easy for anyone to give everything up especially at the holidays.

Exactly. Two of the family members we gather with on holidays live alone. If they stick to the idea of only celebrating with the people of their own household, they will spend the holidays the way they've spent most of this year - home alone. One is recently widowed. The other lost a child a couple years ago. Neither is in a good place, mentally, to be home alone on the holidays. And it is really easy for people who are imagining, and among my friend group often looking forward to, smaller holidays with just their spouse and children with no pressure to be anywhere or make the full rounds of a whole mess of extended relatives to say that giving up the holidays is no big deal or that it is only one year (which is, in all probability, not true). But for many people, it isn't easy at all and for some, seeing their kids and grandkids is worth the risk.
 
Exactly. Two of the family members we gather with on holidays live alone. If they stick to the idea of only celebrating with the people of their own household, they will spend the holidays the way they've spent most of this year - home alone. One is recently widowed. The other lost a child a couple years ago. Neither is in a good place, mentally, to be home alone on the holidays. And it is really easy for people who are imagining, and among my friend group often looking forward to, smaller holidays with just their spouse and children with no pressure to be anywhere or make the full rounds of a whole mess of extended relatives to say that giving up the holidays is no big deal or that it is only one year (which is, in all probability, not true). But for many people, it isn't easy at all and for some, seeing their kids and grandkids is worth the risk.

Colleen, with my bad lung disease as many of you already know about, what I bolded is exactly where I got going in to June. My sons heard me say a million times since June if I die because I got to hug and kiss them or my grandchildren........so be it. Am I going to run around maskless and possibly infect strangers heck no!
 
Exactly. Two of the family members we gather with on holidays live alone. If they stick to the idea of only celebrating with the people of their own household, they will spend the holidays the way they've spent most of this year - home alone. One is recently widowed. The other lost a child a couple years ago. Neither is in a good place, mentally, to be home alone on the holidays. And it is really easy for people who are imagining, and among my friend group often looking forward to, smaller holidays with just their spouse and children with no pressure to be anywhere or make the full rounds of a whole mess of extended relatives to say that giving up the holidays is no big deal or that it is only one year (which is, in all probability, not true). But for many people, it isn't easy at all and for some, seeing their kids and grandkids is worth the risk.

Yeah, I mean there’s a huge difference in one or two people joining a household for Thanksgiving vs. the big 25-30 person gatherings many people are planning to have. If precautions are taken in advance, including 1 or 2 extra guests is much different than hosting a very large multi family Thanksgiving with the possibility of infecting large numbers of people at once who then go out and on to infect others. Smaller risk vs. larger risk.
 
My mother was going downhill mentally fast and looked alarmingly bad when I finally started visiting her outside at her house. After lots of visits this summer, she is doing much better. Friends of mine have lost family members due to mental health issues exacerbated by pandemic loneliness. We will be having Thanksgiving as safe as possible. There are worse things than Covid.
This
My husband’s younger brother (age 38) came home from work a couple weeks ago, said he didn’t feel well, and went to bed. He never woke up.
My mother has a myriad of health issues and there is a very good chance this will be her last Thanksgiving.
I will be hosting Thanksgiving this year for any family member who wants to come. I will put in whatever safety precautions are humanly possible and I will respect the decision of anyone who chooses not to come.
In case anyone wonders, I do take the virus seriously, know it’s real, and know many who have had it in varying degrees, including an immediate family member. But, the dangers of isolation are also very real for many. Most of my extended family hold jobs where they have been working in person since the pandemic began. We know how to be safe and be around other people.
 
My mother was going downhill mentally fast and looked alarmingly bad when I finally started visiting her outside at her house. After lots of visits this summer, she is doing much better. Friends of mine have lost family members due to mental health issues exacerbated by pandemic loneliness. We will be having Thanksgiving as safe as possible. There are worse things than Covid.

Serious mental illness can be as life threatening as COVID-19 can be.
 
It’s really stunning that people can’t take the responsibility on their own to wear masks and avoid large gatherings. It’s an incredible lack of respect and self control. If people could be trusted to approach covid with caution and respect for others, none of these restrictions would even need to be suggested.

That's what I have been saying all along. I UNDERSTAND that people want to be around others, want/need to get back to work and school, see family, etc. We don't HAVE to be locked down, under strict isolation; we know how to manage this. Wear a mask, keep your distance, limit crowd size. This will enable us to let people work and socialize as safely as possible. It's not forever, it's for another 6-12 months. Unfortunately we have to have everyone on board, and some people just refuse to follow the recommendations, so we all pay the price.

We can't eradicate this virus, but we know how to keep as many people alive as possible until there's a vaccine produced in large enough quantities, with wide enough distribution, along with acquired immunity, to keep this under control. Wear your mask, keep your distance, don't form crowds.
 
It's not forever, it's for another 6-12 months.
Yes it's not forever but that talk is also what happened at the beginning. "It's only for a few weeks, it's only been a few weeks, it's just a few more months, and so on" and it.never.was.going.to.be only a few weeks or months, it just wasn't.

For restrictions to be in place, masks to be recommended, social distancing to be the gold standard, and copious usage of hand sanitizer seems very optimistic for any country to completely remove that and most importantly to not go back to that (as in there is zero need, expectation or thought to going back to that) in 6 months time. 12 months in my opinion is really pushing it. I would imagine that these wil stick around into 2022 at least for some measures as vaccination works its way into the populations. I left out handwashing because that shouldn't go away.

Some countries I think could see restrictions and things like mask mandates temporarily removed, it's what multiple countries did in Europe but they went back to them when needed. In Australia and New Zealand same story. But they basically all had them in their back pockets to be pulled out when needed. Now if you're talking about approaches to closing down places of businesses that viably is less realistic long-term. But we weren't talking about that. The topic was get togethers and seeing loved ones.

I think people need to specify (and please don't take offense at this :flower3:) whether they are simply following a mandate (or time in the year such that holidays could be considered that) regarding get togethers with loved ones or if they truly will be staying away from everyone until the majority of the population is deemed protected such that get togethers pose little threat to spread in the virus or they are waiting for a not known time period when they believe the virus won't be around. If it's the former that is likely a shorter timeframe, if it's the later buckle up because that will be a while and it's exactly why people are carefully looking at their own family and friend situations because they are looking at that long road and weighing if their loved one will make it that far. That is not me excusing the behavior just me understanding it.
 

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