Thanksgiving day. A day to celebrate the amazing and free country we all are lucky to live in, filled with family memories and delicious food. Now imagine all those traditions disappearing. Today’s families are facing a serious and detrimental decision on whether or not to travel this thanksgiving to congregate with family due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

Many experts like Dr. Fauci are suggesting that families stay home this holiday season. What does this mean for you and your family this holiday season?

Mr. Malossi, a teacher at Bethpage High School has told us his beliefs on Thanksgiving plans this year. When asked, “Do you think Thanksgiving is cancelled this year?” Malossi states, “Thanksgiving will be different this year.” This Holiday season will not be like the past traditional years across the country. He refers to our town as the “Bethpage Bubble.” He feels that if families in the Bethpage bubble travel outside the town this holiday season corona will end up being brought into the bubble exposing others in the town. Mr. Malossi is concerned that students in Bethpage High school have been attending and throwing parties among students. He feels this can be dangerous for spreading covid, as numbers are rising. However, these parties among students that go to the same school versus family members from all over the country do not compare in severity. The risk is very high to spread covid during a family dinner full of family members rather than students in the school. Initially, Mr. Malossi was taking precautions by having a “Fakesgiving” by wearing a mask as his mother in law visits. However, recently both his mother and wife cancelled their Thanksgiving Dinner this year due to new New York State regulations. This will regulate the amount of people allowed in a home for a Thanksgiving dinner. Mr. Malossi does not think these laws and regulations will be effective. He says that enforcing laws will be hard to do “especially in America.” As a result, many families across the country have opted to gather with their families via Zoom and FaceTime calls instead. 

Considering the COVID pandemic, many people also questioned whether the New York City Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was going to be virtual or completely cancelled. According to NBC New York, the traditional parade will still take place on Thursday, November 26th from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Although it is “normal” for thousands of people and performers riding in floats and holding enormous balloons for this parade, this year it’ll be quite different. The parade will still air nationwide on television on NBC and Telemundo — but with no audience. In order to conduct the parade safely during these pressing times, it will be a television event only with performers marching for two and half miles in Manhattan in order to prevent large crowd gatherings. Performers from Hamilton, the Radio City Rockettes, and artists such as Tori Kelly, Jordin Sparks, Sofia Carson, and Bebe Rexha will be at the event. 

Although many traditions and holidays have been ruined by this deadly pandemic, America is trying to make the best out of these difficult circumstances by enforcing social distancing and isolation protocols in efforts of preventing rising COVID-19 cases.