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HostingHolidays in a Covid World BY JEANNINE CINTRON
Jeannine Cintron is the Staten Island Parent Editor and mom to two kids who promised they’d help out more this Thanksgiving (which is now in print so you guys better do it).
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few years ago I wrote a lighthearted but honest article about hosting holidays, a 700-word rant detailing how annoying relatives are, how stressful cooking for a crowd can be, and how badly I never want to do it again. Then Covid-19 served up a major dose of reality I never expected when I wrote that article. Quarantine has since made me
kind of miss those annoying relatives. I miss the challenge of cooking for a crowd. I miss hanging out with people who don’t live with me! So now the holidays are approaching and although they won’t look quite the same this year, you should still plan to celebrate. A little advice from me to you? Don’t volunteer! If you can pawn off hosting on
another relative, go for it. After the year you had, you don’t need that kind of stress in your life. I’m kidding! In all seriousness, choosing to host in your own home leaves you in control. You can make sure the crowd stays small. You can choose whether people should wear masks and how to social distance. You can even herd everyone outside if you (safely) set up heaters and the weather cooperates. Once it’s been established that you can’t talk your sister into hosting after all, it’s all on you to keep people happy and safe for the holidays. So get planning. And instead of getting flustered by the seemingly impossible task, use it to your advantage! Here’s how. 1. GO PLASTIC. Frankly, I would never
16 November 2020 • siparent.com
Hosting the Holidays.indd 2
10/29/20 1:07 PM
