The beloved holiday Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, but unfortunately, the coronavirus is still around. The pandemic seems to still be thriving,  especially in this cold weather. This only hinders the type of activities people can take part in. 

Halloween was limited because of quarantine that the virus Covid-19 has brought. It has also taken away some of our school year and the summer vacation in the past year. 

How will this virus affect our upcoming holidays, like Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is the time of the year where all family members and loved ones gather to be grateful for all they have. It is tradition for AHS students to have a break where they enjoy time with extended family and friends, but with this virus still lingering in the air, it might prevent yet another tradition we treasure.

Not only has this virus been keeping us students quarantined from each other, but it has also separated families.

Although schools will still provide the break for the holiday, students will not be able to celebrate as they normally would. Unfortunately, this means that for some students and their families, their typical reunions will probably not happen. 

“Corona has affected my Thanksgiving plans because I won’t be able to spend it with my whole family,” junior Frances Tarnue said.

“I don’t get to see my grandma and cousins. However, this year I plan to spend Thanksgiving with my mom and siblings in the house but it’s not the same you know?”

Some families will have to celebrate this year’s Thanksgiving with only their immediate family, particularly those same people they have quarantining with.

Senior Kiana Mitchener said, “Instead of spending it with our whole family, my mom is going to cook the meal and my brother is going to come down and visit.” 

On the other hand, Thanksgiving is not traditional in every household, and to some families, the holiday is not necessarily of great importance.

Junior Abel Mehari said, “To be honest, my Thanksgiving dinners aren’t a big deal. It depends on whether other family members want to come because I’m too lazy to plan anything.” 

Most can relate to Mehari like sophomore Mustapha Bayoh who said, “I don’t think it will affect my Thanksgiving because we just have a family dinner if everyone wants to.” 

Many AHS students plan to celebrate with everyone in the same household rather than having a big gathering with extended family members. 

This means to certain students, the pandemic has not made much of a difference in how they celebrate the holiday.

Junior Shada Ibrahim also said, “I don’t think this pandemic will affect my Thanksgiving because my family doesn’t have a big gathering. It’s just my siblings, parents, and me.”

It is disappointing for some people to not be able to spend the holiday with their loved ones and childhood friends, but limited in-person gatherings, such as Thanksgiving, are crucial at this time for things to eventually go back to normal.

Corona has not affected every family as of now and it is best to keep it that way. Ensuring that the virus stops spreading is the top priority in order to guarantee a better future for everyone. Restriction, especially during this time, is crucial at this time to achieve this. 

Senior Lara Dib was the first to point out that although they are not able to spend the holiday together because of the virus, her family is limiting the risk of spreading it. 

“My family was supposed to get together but we can only have certain people come over.” 

Dib’s situation is common for many who have experienced difficulties with seeing their families. 

“My grandparents are old and we can’t put them at risk if they travel here, but we are thinking of driving to Ohio to spend some time with them and we’ll stay quarantined in the house,” she explains.

This pandemic will most likely interfere with the day after Thanksgiving as well, known as Black Friday. On this day, many people go to local malls to shop and take advantage of the sales going on. This means that too many people will be in one place, making it easier for the virus to spread. Although the virus may not completely cancel plans for shopping, this annual event will most likely look much different this year.

Families tend to go shopping directly after Thanksgiving dinner, but the current situation will most likely interfere with those plans. 

“When I go Black Friday shopping I usually go early on that Friday, but I don’t stay long because there’s a lot of people there,” Ibrahim said. “I’m not worried about it not happening this year because I can just shop online.” 

Others have expressed concerns about shopping during this time because they view this annual event as unsafe and irresponsible given the unfortunate circumstances. 

“I think Black Friday should be canceled or have a limit on how many people are allowed in each store, but I believe that’s hard to do,” junior Sabrin Gabow said.

“It’s going to increase the number of cases and for what, a couple of sales? It’s just not a good idea,” she added.

It does not look like the virus is going to let up anytime soon and with the chance of it spreading even more, normal lifestyles are limited.