A safe Thanksgiving can still be special
by Donica Kaneshiro | Nov. 23, 2020
With the alarming rise in cases of COVID-19 across the country, we need to do all we can to limit the spread of the disease, especially now as families make their holiday plans.
The state Department of Health and CDC websites have lots of tips on how to gather safely during the holidays.
Of course, the safest way to celebrate is with just the members in your household.
That’s what Guy Kitagawa, a financial administrator in our company’s Enterprise Operations Services department, is doing on Thursday. “However, that won’t stop us from enjoying the special foods made by special people,” he said. “When we get together for Thanksgiving, everyone has their special dish that they like to make and bring.”
This year, each household from Guy’s family placed their “orders” for the number of servings for each dish. A designated runner will deliver and pick up dishes from each house. Even though they’ll be celebrating the day apart, they still plan to celebrate together over Zoom.
If the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is part of your Turkey Day tradition, that won’t have to change this year. The parade is being reinvented for a television-viewing-only experience, but it will still get you from turkey to Santa over the course of a few festive hours.
This brings us to Black Friday shopping and deals. It’s not a good idea to crowd around the discount electronics display this year, but many stores already have Black Friday-style deals all season long and most have online options and curbside pickup. With so many small businesses hurting this year, consider shopping local. An easy way to support local businesses safely is through the local online marketplace Pop-Up Mākeke, which even has free shipping.
Christmas may still be a month away, but you’ll need to plan early to book your Zoom timeslot with Santa. Or kids can write their wishes online through Macy’s Believe campaign and for every letter sent to Santa, Macy’s will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
No matter how you celebrate, make sure you wear a face covering when within 6 feet of anyone outside your household and frequently wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds. If you choose to celebrate with others, make sure you follow the current rules in your county and stay in a small social bubble throughout the season.
Donica Kaneshiro is a communications consultant at Hawaiian Electric Company.
