Michigan entered a three week “pause” the week before Thanksgiving as Covid-19 cases got worse. For many, this was a very alarming thing since Thanksgiving is all about being together. Many families were left asking, “should we gather with family for holidays during these times?”

With everything there is to consider, my answer is no. That sounds really awful, I know. You’re probably saying, “Oh, but the holidays are for family.” That is true, yes, but I think family is also about keeping each other safe. 

I have a pretty big family, so the thought of all of us meeting in one place and sitting together to pass around dishes that we all have already touched doesn’t sound very safe to me. A lot of families live in different states and come together, so who knows if they’re sick or not, especially when Covid-19 can have an incubation period of up to 10 days. If a family member gets you sick there, and you travel back home, who’s to say you won’t infect someone every time you have to inevitably stop on your way back? If you never develop symptoms and assume you’re well, how many people will you infect in the time afterward?

All of it sounds too risky and just not worth it. People should stay with their immediate families during this time and celebrate that way, especially because you can still call your other family and talk to them that way. Find a way to celebrate this holiday safely: Zoom, FaceTime, or Google Meet. There’s no need to be unsafe because of a holiday—it comes around every year, and you have so many other ones to catch up with your loved ones. We’re all going to have to make sacrifices to get through this, and gathering socially, even if it’s for a holiday, can wait until we’re all safe.