Joe And Jill Biden Write About "Smaller" Celebrations In Their Thanksgiving Op-ed

President-elect of the United States Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden wrote about their toned down Thanksgiving celebrations this year in an op-ed published on Thursday, November 26. The couple also acknowledged and sympathised with those who spent the holiday being apart from their loved ones amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Thanksgiving has always been a special time for the Biden family. And while I know this isn’t the way many of us hoped to spend the holiday, the small act of staying home is a gift to our fellow Americans. pic.twitter.com/4mHOEFIcjV

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 26, 2020

The Bidens’ Thanksgiving Traditions

The op-ed, written for CNN, provided a glimpse into the Biden family’s Thanksgiving traditions: “making family recipes, passed down from generation to generation, in a warm, crowded kitchen; setting the table with fresh flowers and lighting candles; playing football and games of checkers; taking our ever-growing family photo.”

However, the couple acknowledged that this year, their “turkey will be smaller” and “the clatter of cooking a little quieter” as they tone down celebrations in the face of the pandemic. Extending solidarity to fellow Americans, they wrote, “Like millions of Americans, we are temporarily letting go of the traditions we can't do safely … Yet, we know it's the price of protecting each other and one we don't pay alone.”

Also Read: Get To Know Dr Jill Biden, The Soon To Be First Lady Of The United States

Joe and Jill Biden Express Gratitude

Drawing upon the spirit of gratitude that Thanksgiving signifies, the Bidens thanked frontline workers who “have never stopped showing up over these long and confusing months” and ensure undisrupted food supply, security, and other essential services. They also thanked the healthcare workers “who put in long shifts and isolate themselves from their loved ones” while treating those infected with COVID-19. Furthermore, the duo extended their gratitude for educators, parents, researchers and scientists who are grappling with the ‘new normal’.

Acknowledging “the American spirit”, the Bidens appreciated Americans for not cowering “in the face of crisis and hardship” and coming “together to lift up one another.” They wrote, “All those who lost jobs but not heart, who donated to food banks or asked their neighbors, What can I do? How can I help? We're grateful for everyone who reminded us that we are bigger than the challenges we face.” Lastly, Joe and Jill Biden thanked all the Americans who showed “faith and trust” and gave them the chance to continue serving America – a “beautiful, brave, complicated nation - as future President and first lady.

Also Read: Indian-American Mala Adiga Appointed As Jill Biden’s Policy Director

The Bidens ended their Thanksgiving op-ed on a note of encouragement for those affected by the pandemic: “We're going to get through this together, even if we have to be apart.”

Picture Credits: Channel 3000

Tarini Gandhiok is an intern with SheThePeople.TV