Janet Fonesca typically enjoys Thanksgiving dinner at her parents’ home in Corpus Christi, Texas, with her three sisters, their spouses, her brother, 10 niños, aunts, uncles, cousins — all under one roof.
With the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommending that Americans opt out of traveling this Thanksgiving because of the Covid-19 pandemic, many were forced to find alternative ways to still celebrate the holiday.
For Fonesca, that meant a socially distanced dinner table set with just three plates.
Fonesca, a patient care tech in a hospital Covid-19 ICU, had already made significant changes to her lifestyle. She, her husband and daughter, who is asthmatic, sleep in separate rooms; use separate bathrooms, disposable cutlery and dishes; and sit 6 feet apart to try to keep everyone healthy.
Janet Fonesca and her family on Thanksgiving enjoy a socially distanced meal together.
Asi que, changing holiday plans wasn’t a huge departure.
Fonesca started off Thanksgiving Day at Mass with 50 gente — all masked — in attendance. And although she couldn’t gather with family to eat and play Mexican Bingo, she made sure to swing by her in-laws’ home to see them and their 90-year-old parents from a safe distance.
Janet Fonesca visits with her family.
“I’m grateful to be healthy but sad for all my friends who have lost their loved ones,” ella dijo.
Swapping side dishes in the driveway
Paul Kingsley’s family loves to cook. Asi que, when his daughter asked what the plans were this year, it didn’t take long to come up with a solution that included every family member.
Typically, Kingsley’s home in Rochester, Nueva York, is the meeting point for Thanksgiving, but a couple weeks ago, the family shifted gears to make the holiday a safe one, él dijo.
Janis and Uri Segal wave to family members on video as they celebrated Thanksgiving with a small dinner together in Detroit.
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Cafeteria staff serve Thanksgiving meals to hospital personnel at the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
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Alexis Small and her newborn baby, Aubrielle Kitchen, attend a conference call with family members on Thanksgiving Day.
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A patient eats a Thanksgiving meal at a Covid-19 intensive care unit in Houston.
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Jessica and John Franz prepare Thanksgiving dinner in Olathe, Kansas, while their daughters, Quinn and Molly, talk with family members on Thanksgiving Day.
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Family members wave goodbye to Barbara Farrior, 85, after visiting her at her nursing home in New York on Thanksgiving. The Hebrew Home at Riverdale was featuring drive-up visits so that families could connect with their loved ones celebrating the holiday alone.
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Dr. Joseph Varon eats a Thanksgiving meal in the Covid-19 intensive care unit at the United Memorial Medical Center in Houston.
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On behalf of the charitable foundation SocialWorks, volunteers in Chicago distribute free turkeys to those in need on November 23.
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The staff of the Medium Rare restaurant in Arlington, Virginia, pack Thanksgiving meals for area seniors and those in need on November 24.
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The Radio City Rockettes rehearse for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. The traditional parade took place without spectators this year.
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People line up in their cars to receive Thanksgiving meal boxes from the Tarrant Area Food Bank in Texas. The November 20 giveaway, the largest in the organization’s history, took place in the parking lot of AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
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Presidente Donald Trump, with first lady Melania Trump by his side, holds the annual turkey pardoning in the White House Rose Garden.
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A person hands over a turkey at the Bay Area Rescue Mission’s Thanksgiving Giveaway in Richmond, California. The pandemic has put millions of Americans out of work, y many families have been turning to food banks to get by.
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People take photos of Thanksgiving decorations at Macy’s Herald Square store in New York City.
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Shannon Fredericks — along with her daughter Lauren and son Jack — get tested for Covid-19 in Ventura, California, en noviembre 19. They were planning on family members visiting for Thanksgiving, and they wanted to play it safe and get tested ahead of time.
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Cars line up in the parking lot of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ stadium, where there was drive-thru testing for Covid-19. Long lines have been seen at testing sites across the country as people were eager to get tested ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
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People wearing personal protective equipment walk inside Los Angeles International Airport on November 17. The airport began issuing Covid-19 tests in two terminals that week and planned to quickly expand the program.
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People say goodbye before checking in for a Delta Air Lines flight in Los Angeles on November 25.
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Traffic is seen on Interstate 80 in Emeryville, California, a day before Thanksgiving.
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Travelers at the Orlando International Airport wait at a security checkpoint on November 25, a day before Thanksgiving.
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A couple in New York City uses a video call to take part in a Thanksgiving celebration with friends on November 22.
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Adeline Atondo plays the ukulele by her father, Ray, as they wait for their flight at Denver International Airport on November 20.
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Jacquie Carney, 7, runs to hug her grandmother, Donna Vidrine, after arriving on a flight to Los Angeles on November 23.
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Turkeys are seen at a farm in Orefield, Pensilvania, en noviembre 20.
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Employees with the Transportation Security Administration work at a checkpoint at Denver International Airport on November 20.
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Cali Hammer and her brother Bryce take a photo with Santa, who was behind a plexiglass partition at a Cabela’s store in Tilden Township, Pensilvania, en noviembre 20.
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A person in New York walks through the Shops at Hudson Yards on November 23.
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Kingsley’s son came home from college last week after taking a Covid-19 test provided by his school. Kinglsey’s daughter is nearby with her significant other, and his brother and their 91-year-old mother live not far away, in Canandaigua, Nueva York, él dijo.
With his family in three different homes, Kinglsey said members were assigned to make a side dish that was shared in a Thursday morning driveway swap. Everyone wore masks — and left with a full meal. Kingsley then drove the 30 miles south to Canandaigua to deliver a portion of the bounty because his mother doesn’t get out.
Paul Kingsley and his daughter, Sarah Kingsley, exchange sides on Thanksgiving morning.
“Asi que, we all had the same food so we could eat at the same time, but we did it in three different locations,” él dijo. “We still had family time, but we were eating separately and safely.”
One person could have cooked all the food, but by giving everyone a cooking assignment, there was more to talk about during their video call, Kingsley said.
Paul’s wife, Kathleen McGrath, and their son enjoy their Thanksgiving meal with a family Zoom call.
Dinner on the porch
Kelly Anne Odhe usually sees between 50 y 75 relatives and friends at two or three get-togethers on Thanksgiving. Este año, she enjoyed her table for two in the comfort of her home with her significant other — and still made it special with her table decor.
Kelly Anne Odhe dressed up a table for just two.
Odhe said she connected with loved ones in different ways — some virtually and some with porch deliveries with face masks on. On the menu: turkey, green bean casserole, mac and cheese, stuffing, rolls, cranberries and dessert.
“Table for two, porch drop-offs, outdoor hellos, & masks,” Ohde tweeted. “Thanksgiving brings a new level of gratitude & a different look. What matters are relationships. Thankful for all of you, a career I love, an opportunity to give back and health.”
Giving thanks for Zoom and FaceTime
Usually, the rules of dinnertime include no phones, laptops or tablets. With things looking and feeling different this year, families everywhere had no problem making exceptions.
Zoom even lifted its 40-minute meeting limit on Thanksgiving, for free, so that the gatherings weren’t cut short.
And those who had to work still took a break to enjoy their loved ones’ company and a meal.
