HOW TO ENJOY A SOCIALLY DISTANT THANKSGIVING
The winter holidays look a bit different in 2020 with smaller celebrations and many people staying close to home. However, departing from family traditions does not mean that you are condemned to binge Netflix and eat a frozen dinner on Thanksgiving.
This is a great year to try making a Thanksgiving dinner, especially if you’ve never done it before or have new recipes to try out. You won’t have a table full of hungry guests if the turkey takes longer to cook than expected and after your kitchen victories, you’ll get the enjoy the bounty as leftovers for several days. (If the prospect of endless leftover turkey gives you pause, consider roasting a chicken instead. Then use the leftovers to make homemade chicken soup which can be frozen for a future cold winter day!)
Looking for ideas on what to do between the cooking, eating, and dishwashing?
Many Turkey Trots have gone virtual this year, but whether or not you are participating in an official event, lace up your sneakers and run or walk a 5k.
Go for a hike at a local forest preserve. The Forest Preserves of Cook County manages 70,000 acres of land near Chicago!
The Macy’s Day Parade will still be airing on Thanksgiving morning, so you can curl up on the couch and enjoy a parade of floats and balloons.
Schedule a virtual happy hour with friends and family. On Thanksgiving, Zoom is lifting the 40 minute time limit for free meetings, so you don’t have to worry about interruptions.
Start writing your holiday cards! Getting mail is fun anytime, but especially these days when a trip to the mailbox might be the highlight of the day.
Go for a drive to look at holiday light displays. This year, the Morton Arboretum has turned Illumination: Tree Lights into a drive-thru experience so you can keep your distance from other visitors.
Take a virtual trip to a museum. Many museums have virtual tours and interactive content on their websites, including the Art Institute of Chicago.
Play board games online with your friends and family on BoardGameArena.
Spend the day immersed in a great book. This is the time of year to fully lean into the Danish lifestyle of hygge. Pile on the blankets, keep a mug of hot chocolate nearby, and aim for peak coziness.