With my state guidelines on my mind I’m thinking of ways to make our small thanksgiving meal as safe as possible.
Meal will be all outside. I’ll set up tables for each family group distanced from each other. Will have people wear masks unless they are eating. Will try to limit length of gathering.
What steps are you taking for your holiday meal?
I am not currently planning a meal with anyone outside my “pod” but one thing I would be consider would be while maybe not “fancy” that you set up a buffet with NO serving utensils. The person’s own silverware (before any use) is used to fill their plate. One person at a time through the buffet line. Put some common items on each family’s table for “community pod” sharing: salt and pepper, a softened stick of butter - that kind of thing. Hand sanitizer at each table. Chinet and large garbage cans nearby so someone can tie the bags and be done with trash. You could be really practical and use some quality plasticware that gets tossed.
We hosted a few our close friends (couples) and kiddos with their SO on the covered deck over this summer. We have a giant firetable, and folks sit at the opposite ends of it. I always wore a mask while cooking, split everything into separate serving dishes so each party would have their own at their end of the table. Separate condiments, salt, pepper, etc. I did not go for any elaborate dishes, just stuff that can be easily split. For Thanksgiving, we plan on having several such small gatherings - if the infection rates will not snowball out of control here.
I think we will be 9 or possibly 11. My H, D and FIL work together and D lives with her BF, That makes 6 of us who are a pod. I also see my sister regularly as she has health issues and I drive and help her. My sister and I wear masks when together. My son is the wildcard. He works from home but he does get together on occasion with friends. I’m going to ask him to refrain from socializing outside of his job for two weeks prior. Even though we are sort of a pod I’m still planning on separating couples by table.
Separate serving dishes and condiments is a good suggestion. I also hadn’t thought of wearing a mask while cooking.
Infection rates in our small city are pretty low. Right now I heard the hospital has no Covid patients. The area in our area that is causing cases to go up is the local university area. Several fraternity and sororities have had outbreaks.
Eh . . .it will be just the 4 of us, same as any other day. I still need to make a turkey, according to S, even though 2 of the 4 don’t eat poultry, 
We are currently hoping to just have the 4 of us—H, me, and our two “kids” who are sheltering with us. We haven’t decided on our menu yet but H said NO turkey.
It will just be my husband, son, daughter, son-in-law, and grandson. We’ve been seeing one another since the lockdown ended. I hope my son-in-law doesn’t want turkey because none of us like it, but if it’s not T-day without it for him, I’ll just do a breast. With Chinese seasonings because I am a culinary contrarion like that. But mostly, I just need to disguise that poultry taste.
DH and I have just decided to pretend the holidays don’t exist this year. We will not be preparing any special meals or making any phone calls and will treat each day as any other day. We’ve told our family that we’ll catch up with them next year at some point.
^ That’s pretty much where we are, too. I invited a friend of D2 to spend Christmas Eve and stay overnight, now realize how nuts that may be. And we have a wedding coming up, next weekend.
It’s a toss-up between trying to conquer the isolation versus good sense.