{"id":8402,"date":"2020-11-10T15:26:18","date_gmt":"2020-11-10T20:26:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.greatflorida.com\/?p=8402"},"modified":"2026-04-16T17:44:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T21:44:09","slug":"celebrating-thanksgiving-during-a-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/2020\/celebrating-thanksgiving-during-a-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating Thanksgiving During a Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Like everything this year, Thanksgiving will look a different. With Covid-19 cases surging across the state, medical professionals are urging to keep things quaint.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDespite the stress and isolation experienced this year, there is always something to be thankful for,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/dustyns\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" =_blank>Dustyn Shroff<\/a>, Vice President of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GreatFlorida Insurance<\/a>, Florida\u2019s largest independent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/florida-homeowners-insurance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">homeowners insurance<\/a> agency.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/host_gathering.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8410 lazyload\" width=\"277\" height=\"270\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 277px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 277\/270;\" \/><figcaption>https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/daily-life-coping\/holidays\/thanksgiving.html<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Thanksgiving is about generosity and gratitude. Just because it is different does not mean it cannot be celebrated. If you are looking for guidance on how to safely celebrate, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/daily-life-coping\/holidays.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> (CDC) has recommendations separated into three sections: low-risk activities, moderate risk activities and high-risk activities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Low Risk<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Having a small&nbsp;dinner&nbsp;with only people who live in your household<\/li>\n<li>Preparing traditional family recipes for family and neighbors, especially those at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, and delivering them in a way that doesn\u2019t involve contact with others<\/li>\n<li>Having a virtual dinner and sharing recipes with friends and family<\/li>\n<li>Shopping online rather than in person on the day after Thanksgiving or the next Monday<\/li>\n<li>Watching sports events, parades, and movies from home<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Moderate Risk<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Having a small outdoor&nbsp;dinner&nbsp;with family and friends who live in your community<\/li>\n<li>Visiting pumpkin patches or orchards where people use hand sanitizer before touching pumpkins or picking apples, wearing masks is encouraged or enforced, and people are able to maintain social distancing<\/li>\n<li>Attending a small outdoor sports events with safety precautions in place<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Highest Risk<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Going shopping in crowded stores just before, on, or after Thanksgiving<\/li>\n<li>Participating or being a spectator at a crowded race<\/li>\n<li>Attending crowded parades<\/li>\n<li>Attending large indoor gatherings with people from outside of your household<\/li>\n<li>Using&nbsp;alcohol or drugs&nbsp;that may alter judgment and make it more difficult to practice COVID-19 safety measures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Your plans depend on your level of comfort. If you plan to get together with those outside of your household the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/daily-life-coping\/holidays\/thanksgiving.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">CDC<\/a> recommends the following:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Wearing a mask<\/li>\n<li>Social distancing, stay six feet apart<\/li>\n<li>Washing your hands<\/li>\n<li>Share an outdoor meal<\/li>\n<li>If celebrating indoors, open a window<\/li>\n<li>Bring your own utensils, cups and plates, food and drinks<\/li>\n<li>Avoid going in and out of an area where food is prepared<\/li>\n<li>If sharing food, have one person serve the food and<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Have a conversation with guests ahead of time to set expectations. You may decide this is a year to explore new traditions.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.realsimple.com\/holidays-entertaining\/holidays\/thanksgiving\/how-to-host-thanksgiving-during-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Real Simple<\/a> suggests rather than isolating yourself, go virtual. You can host a virtual Thanksgiving and invite as many as your bandwidth allows.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Set a place for your computer<\/li>\n<li>Schedule a time<\/li>\n<li>Coordinate the menu or make a similar dish<\/li>\n<li>Create a decorating scheme<\/li>\n<li>Get creative with family traditions, find games online to play together<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Different can be exciting and fun. Most importantly, don\u2019t let the pandemic steal your joy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want to express my appreciation to our extraordinary independent agents and their staff for their hard work during an unusual year. Thank you for making <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GreatFlorida Insurance<\/a> a success. Also, a big thanks to all our customers. It is our honor and pleasure to serve you and your families,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/dustyns\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" =_blank>Dustyn Shroff<\/a>, Vice President of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GreatFlorida Insurance<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you are looking for reliable <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/florida-homeowners-insurance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">homeowners insurance<\/a>, give us a call today.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"728\" height=\"90\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/GoggleImage_Home_H_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-521 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/GoggleImage_Home_H_1.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/GoggleImage_Home_H_1-300x37.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/GoggleImage_Home_H_1-150x19.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/GoggleImage_Home_H_1-696x86.jpg 696w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 728px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 728\/90;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/GoggleImage_Home_H_1.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/GoggleImage_Home_H_1-300x37.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/GoggleImage_Home_H_1-150x19.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/GoggleImage_Home_H_1-696x86.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px\" \/><figcaption>https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/florida-homeowners-insurance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Like everything this year, Thanksgiving will look a different. With Covid-19 cases surging across the state, medical professionals are urging to keep things quaint. \u201cDespite the stress and isolation experienced this year, there is always something to be thankful for,\u201d says Dustyn Shroff, Vice President of GreatFlorida Insurance, Florida\u2019s largest independent homeowners insurance agency. https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/daily-life-coping\/holidays\/thanksgiving.html [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1219,"featured_media":8406,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,3,4,6,91,1,13,7,8,82,89,9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8402","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-homeowners-insurance","8":"category-auto-insurance","9":"category-boat-insurance","10":"category-commercial-insurance","11":"category-featured","12":"category-floridainsurance","13":"category-healthcare-insurance","14":"category-motorcycle-insurance","15":"category-renters-insurance","16":"category-rv-insurance","17":"category-travel-insurance","18":"category-umbrella-insurance"},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8402","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1219"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8402"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8402\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13686,"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8402\/revisions\/13686"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}