Make the Most of Harvest Dinner in 2020
Like many of our beloved Chatham traditions, this year’s Harvest Dinner will look a little different. It's beyond difficult to reconfigure every important holiday into the confines of COVID-living, but ultimately, it will be worth it to protect ourselves, each other, and those we love. We’re encouraging Chatham students to embrace the spirit of gratitude that comes with the holiday season and to find unique ways to be together, as we’ve done all year. Chatham Parkhurst is inviting students to pick up a family-style Harvest Dinner that you can share with three friends; check it out here. Additionally, they are offering a holiday bake sale and a holiday heat & eat menu that features a full Thanksgiving dinner, a sides-only option, and a build-your-own option. If you missed the deadline to order for Harvest Dinner, there is still time to order from the holiday menus. Once you’ve got your to-go Thanksgiving in tow, we encourage you to check out our tips for improvising your own Harvest Dinner:
Enjoy your Harvest Dinner Outside
Though we won’t be piling into the AFC this year for family-style dining, there are plenty of safe spots to enjoy your Harvest Dinner on campus with friends. If it’s a reasonably nice November day, Parkhurst recommends enjoying the delectable Harvest Dinner eats in the Tent or on the Quad. May we also suggest the picnic table pavilion next to JKM Library or a full blown picnic on any grassy knoll on campus? If you’re looking for a setting off campus, try Mellon Park, just a few blocks from Shadyside or Eastside.
Just add masks, distance, food, & a few more laptops. 😷😊
Have a Zoom Dinner Party
If you’re missing large group gatherings and spontaneous fun, we feel you. But in the absence of surprise fun, there is a lot of room for thoughtful planning and execution (less glam but way more responsible). If you want to enjoy a gathering that feels more akin to a bustling table of ten, why not share Harvest Dinner over Zoom, where it’s easy to lovingly interrupt each other? Enjoy a delicious meal from the comfort of your dorm room while catching up and sharing gratitude with as many friends as you like.
Keep Those You Love in Mind
While it may be tempting to go all out for the holidays, it’s important to keep in mind that the majority of students will soon be returning home for the remainder of the semester and the upcoming holidays. One night of fun could put your immunocompromised or elderly family members at serious risk, a.k.a. it’s just not worth it. Plan a small (3-4 people) or virtual Harvest Dinner gathering. If eating together in person, practice physical distancing and keep your masks up when not eating. If you’re curious about the best ways to protect your family from COVID-19, be sure to review our departing campus protocols, which underline key actions and considerations to take before returning home.
A student and her family attending Harvest Dinner 2017
Students ready the pie at Harvest Dinner 2019
Add a Dash of Your Own Gourmet Cooking
Parkhurst’s Harvest Dinner is filled with everything a traditional Thanksgiving menu boasts—oven-roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, gravy, and rolls. But why not add some creative cooking embellishments of your own? Half-Baked Harvest has a complete menu of Thanksgiving recipes, including everything from cocktails to unique menu additions like 4 Cheese Sage Pesto Florentine Lasagna and Cider Pumpkin Waffles with Salted Maple Butter. If you’re a vegetarian looking to riff on the classics, check out Good Housekeeping’s excellent list of vegetarian recipes.
Familiarize Yourself with the History of Thanksgiving
It may not be a great year for large-scale celebrations, but you can certainly take this year to better understand the harmful and reductive nature by which Americans are taught to understand the Thanksgiving tradition and why Chatham students advocated to name our event Harvest Dinner instead. This interview with David Silverman offers a background on why the Thanksgiving story we tell children is largely mythical and deeply harmful to the Wampanoag Indians, whose lives and culture were irrevocably harmed by the English settlers who arrived on their land. Educate yourself and then discuss with those you love. Consider dropping off a hot meal for someone who could use it or making a donation to someone in need—honor a spirit of gratitude and giving this season.
We’ve said it once; we’ve said it a thousand times—2020 has been hard, weird, and truly unprecedented. We hope you take every opportunity you’re afforded this holiday season to relax, prioritize your health, and find creative ways to catch up with those you love.
