We Asked San Franciscans
Here we are in November. Pandemic holiday season is upon us. We knew it would come, but actually being here feels strange.
This Thanksgiving, many San Franciscans find themselves holed up in their apartments, away from relatives, trying to figure out how to make a Thanksgiving meal for two on their own or what takeout to get and bracing themselves for awkward family games on Zoom.
But while it may not be traditional, it doesn’t mean this Thanksgiving can’t be special. After all, maybe it’s time to think about redefining this holiday—what it means and how we honor it.
We asked our fellow neighbors: How are you celebrating? Read on for inspiration.
Sign up for The Bold Italic newsletter to get the best of the Bay Area in your inbox every week.
“My boyfriend and I are making food and ordering a couple side dishes to go along with it, and we are playing Among Us with my parents and brother.” — Emily
“I’m not a person who gets into holidays very much, so I didn’t think I would be terribly affected or disappointed by staying home this Thanksgiving/Christmas and not seeing family. This week, it hit me that I won’t be seeing my parents, whom I haven’t seen since February of this year—they live in Southern California—and I’ve been surprised at how emotional I’ve been over it. My father has had some serious health issues this year, unrelated to Covid, and while we aren’t necessarily close, it’s made me anxious to spend time with him. We’re planning to Zoom with my entire family—grandparents in Florida, parents in SoCal, brother and family in San Jose—at some point day of. I’m also very depressed that I won’t be seeing my nephew, who was born in February. I’m not a person who likes children, but this is the first baby I’ve actually wanted to hold, and I can’t. I’m worried I’m going to be a great big sobbing mess on Thanksgiving, which isn’t fun for anyone. My husband and I are picking up some premade vegan things from the Butcher’s Son in Berkeley, and we’ll be cooking some other items along with the premade items.” — Anonymous
“We were going to eat with my cousin’s family and 97-year-old mom but have decided it’s too risky. Since we have a nonrefundable hotel room in Monterey, we’ll bike around and find a Thanksgiving burrito instead.” — Julie
“I always invite all of my friends who don’t travel over for Thanksgiving. This year, that’s not cool with Covid, but my partner and I love Thanksgiving food, so we figured we’d make a smaller dinner for us. Normally I struggle to find a turkey over 18 pounds or so in the grocery store since all the big ones are sought after. This year, the smallest one I could find was 17 pounds, so I guess we’ll be both be getting nice and round with hella leftovers.” — Mike Skalnik
“Picking up an expensive meal at a restaurant I haven’t been to before in the early afternoon and eating it at home with a nice bottle of something while co-watching a cherished movie I’ve seen a gazillion times with a friend who’s 921 miles away. Either playing with the Legos then or a stroll, depending on the weather.” — Charley Wilhite
“Driving seven hours to a rental cabin in Palm Springs and hiking around under the desert skies at Joshua Park.” — Anonymous
“Planning to have lunch outside at least six feet apart with less than 10 people.” — Anonymous
“Ordering some takeout Peking turkey from a local Chinese restaurant and making sides to go with it.” — Anonymous
What are your plans? Let us know here.
