A New Type of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a holiday filled with family, friends, food, and football. With an array of COVID restrictions recently put in place by Governor Baker, Thanksgiving as a community might have to look a little different. The holiday once filled with extended family and feasts of food will likely be a small gathering or no gathering at all. 

Travel is limited this year because many families don’t have the option of quarantining once they get back, and they also want to help prevent the spread of the virus. Although few families are traveling due to COVID-19, there are a few that are leaving Massachusetts. When asked, one student at SHS said that she will be traveling to Florida this year. Thanksgiving is about seeing family and friends, as well as seeing her sister who goes to college in Florida, and her grandparents. They plan to take precautions to stay safe during their travels there and back.  

On the other hand, traditions must be changed and new ones must be made this year. For junior Helena Snow, she won’t be having a Thanksgiving turkey because it doesn’t seem worth it. Cooking a turkey is a lot of work and with the small group that she is celebrating with– including her immediate family and grandparents–it seemed like a lot of work with little reward. 

For many families, many of the large group gatherings they once had for Thanksgiving have become impossible. They now have to pick and choose which family members they will spend the holiday with, or if they will choose to spend the holiday with family at all. Although it may seem extremely unfortunate, it is important to take this time to truly bond with those with whom you get to spend the holidays. 

This is an unprecedented year, and many things have been taken away from the Scituate High School community; however, Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be another thing to lose. People continue to look on the brightside and look forward to eating their favorite pie, seeing siblings who are coming back from college, and feasting on food. This year can be filled with new memories and new traditions to counteract the negatives that have come about the past few months.