Being Alone on Thanksgiving

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Editor's Note: The holiday season is upon us, which means family gatherings, parties of all sorts, but many find themselves facing the holidays alone. Katja Vujic provided sme advice in a November 20 article on The Cut. Here is her introduction and a couple of hints, along with a list of more things to do and a link to the full article.

I vividly remember the worst Thanksgiving I ever had. Growing up, the holiday was never a big deal in my immigrant family; usually, the four of us ate lasagna because none of us particularly liked turkey. Once I was in college, I didn’t feel called to spend time and money traveling home, especially since I was conflicted about celebrating the day at all. Fast-forward to 2016, weeks after the election: I was lying in the fetal position on a twin-XL bed, scrolling past portraits of classmates smiling next to their loved ones, feeling profoundly lonely and depressed. The only thing I ate that day was a frozen bean burrito from the CVS near campus.

Whether by choice or circumstance, plenty of people find themselves alone on Thanksgiving. Thanks to a horribly timed case of COVID, I might be spending the holiday in isolation once again this year. If you’ll be alone on Thanksgiving — hopefully not because of the coronavirus — it doesn’t have to be miserable. Here are some suggestions for how to spend your day.

At-home spa day

For once you have a whole day free. Use it to pamper yourself! Start with a full-body scrub in the shower and a scented bath, followed by a luxurious moisturizer and an at-home facial. Add in a mani-pedi and drying time and you’ve taken up at least the entire afternoon. Blaring ’90s R&B is optional but recommended.

Volunteer

It’s a classic for a reason. If you don’t want to be alone on Thanksgiving, focus on being there for others. You’ll have the chance to connect with fellow volunteers, and you’ll get to spend your day doing something useful, whether it’s passing out meals or raking leaves. Ideally, reach out directly to an organization you’re familiar with, but if you’re looking for opportunities, you can check volunteer platforms like VolunteerMatch or Engage. If you’re in New York, you could try New York Cares — or Mutual Aid NYC, where you can connect with a mutual-aid group in your area if you’re interested in volunteering your time in a more sustained way.

More suggestions from Katja. Followa the link at the bottom of the page to read the deteils.

Do a deep clean...

Cook something special...

Hang out with some strangers...

A movie marathon...

A long walk (or run, or hike)...

Say 'yes' to pity invites...

Read something...

Read Katja Vujic's full article