If there’s ever a time for large gatherings, Thanksgiving is it. But this year, for the sake of public safety, the annual tradition will likely look different at households across the country.

On the eve of Election Day, residents saw storefronts boarded up across Boston as businesses prepared for property damage and looting in the aftermath of Tuesday night. The precautions came after civil rights protests this year, in Boston and nationwide, had turned destructive at times.

Halloween usually means parties and celebrations with friends, however public health precautions against a highly transmissible virus means students will need to adjust their plans this year to celebrate safely.