Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and it will be the first family-focused holiday being celebrated since the Coronavirus pandemic began to heighten earlier this year in March.

This Thanksgiving, however, will look different from past years.

The pandemic will undoubtedly change how students spend their holiday break away from school and with their families and friends, as social distancing has caused issues with usual gathering plans.

In some cases, celebrations have been cancelled altogether.

“We usually have my aunt and uncle over for the holidays, but this year it may just have to be our immediate family,” AU junior Andrew Villers said. “My brother was supposed to get married in Michigan the weekend of Thanksgiving, but now we are unable to have gatherings of more than 50 people so they had to move the wedding to next summer.”

The CDC stresses that celebrating with immediate family or people you live in the same household with is the only “truly safe” way to celebrate with people over the holidays.

It also encourages families to opt to virtual celebrations rather than large gatherings. If you are to meet face-to-face, gatherings should be held outside if weather permits.

Campbell Holben, a junior at Bowling Green State University, is heeding this advice.

“Because of COVID, I won’t be able to see my grandparents which is very unfortunate,” Holben said. “Our usual tradition for Thanksgiving is to head over to their house in Pittsburgh and spend the holiday weekend with them. Instead, we’re all ordering some pumpkin rolls and having a zoom call so we are able to eat something together on the holiday, even though we’re not together.”