While maintaining public distancing measures and other preventative measures against COVID-19, most people are changing plans for holidays, milestones, and events. There have been restrictions and lockdowns, but people from all over the globe have devised creative and heartwarming techniques of celebrating anniversaries, birthdays, and weddings while practicing social distancing. The confinement has made people want to break the routine and do something new. Surprise vehicle parades while observing social distancing has been a common phenomenon.
Car Parades
Although most states have banned crowds of more than ten people, car parades are becoming increasingly popular in birthdays celebrations amid the pandemic.
Source: ShutterstockLast month, a Saskatoon TV station interviewed a 23- year autistic man in Marcelin. He celebrated his birthday in a vehicle parade. Police officers, city workers, neighbors, friends, and family participated in the celebration by decorating their automobiles with balloons, signs, and car honking while dropping presents for him. Ethan felt good!
His mother, Vernonac Ethan, and grandmother put together the occasion to enjoy his special day while maintaining social distancing. However, Ethan said her son could not understand why he was not celebrating his birthday how he usually did.
That was also the case with a 16-year-old girl when her mother organized a surprise vehicle parade for her birthday. With nothing to look forward to and feeling disappointed for not celebrating her sweet 16, her mother came through by inviting friends and family on her birthday afternoon. It was decorated with a surprise parade consisting of 15 cars doing multiple laps while honking around the streets.
Video Streaming
Source: ShutterstockAmid the COVID-19, various video streaming apps have gained a lot of popularity. A couple in Singapore did not let the pandemic stop them from entertaining their guests.
Kang Ting and Joseph Yew went to the bride’s home to celebrate the New Year with her family in Hubei province. The province’s capital is Wuhan, the birthplace of the novel coronavirus. After a week, they returned to Singapore and scheduled to hold their wedding on 2 February at the M Hotel.
However, when their guest learned that they had recently traveled to China, they were reluctant to attend the wedding. The couple was holding their second wedding in Singapore since they had already wedded in October the past year.
After attempting to plead with the Hotel management to postpone the event in vain, the couple decided to hold the wedding with their guests in the conference area. They would have been wary and uncomfortable at the couple’s presence, so they live-streamed from one of the rooms in the Hotel. Out of 190 guests, 110 were able to attend.
On social media, a user shared clips of her father playing piano near a retirement center. In the post, Izzy Schappel said his father was celebrating his birthday at 84-years after canceling his travel to the Quebec music conference.
The Streets
A couple in Manhattan got married after a marriage officer who was five stories up read them a passage from Love in the Time of Cholera.
Source: ShutterstockAmong the deserted streets of New York, a couple tied the note as their friend presided over the union from his fourth-floor apartment window. The couple’s four friends watched the event away from the groom and bridegroom. The video went live on social media as Amanda Wheeler and Reilly Jennings got officiated by Mat. The couple loved the scene.
Despite the financial strain of coronavirus and Wheeler losing his job at the gym, the couple got married. They did their impromptu wedding while clad in white bouquet and jumpsuit for Jennings and Wheeler complimented with the matching black pantsuit.
Drive-ups
A Chicago couple became creative after postponing their wedding for weeks, thanks to COVID-19. Tim and Nicole had planned their wedding for over a year. After the recent ban on crowds to prevent the spread of coronavirus, they took crucial precautions to ensure they tied their knot.
The couple wedded in their yard as the guests and cheered from the comfort of their cars. The wedding was perfect, and Nicole’s grandparents attended.
Gifts
Although a plethora of brick and mortar shops are closed temporarily, the online market has always been flooded with various gift shops that offer free delivery. Many businesses have adopted this online technique to give their customers a variety of gifts at impressive discounts and sales.
Buying flowers and taking brunch were common ways to celebrate Mother’s day. Amid the pandemic, people have discovered ways to celebrate their moms last month.
Flower Shop owners in various states had to close down due to the high demand. Both small and big suppliers are selling out since more people are buying flowers than usual. ScharBack, a flower store owner, says the incredible outpour of individuals sending flower gifts was unexpected.
Treat Day
As they practice social distancing, people are celebrating their birthdays while doing their favorite activities. For instance, some have created comfy nooks so they could go on a full-day movie marathon. Others are setting up tents (outdoors/indoors) for their birthday campouts.
Source: ShutterstockParents are treating their children to a plethora of games, including video games, card games, apps, and board games. The gamers meet online with their friends and play against each other.
Give your kids a break from the daily chores and let them choose their favorite meal all day. Although most restaurants are closed, online food stores could deliver the meal. You can also schedule a scavenger hunt for your kid’s special day. Put treasures around the house and let the child look for them.
Doing Good Deeds
People are encouraging friends and family to do good deeds to honor their kid’s birthday. You can donate supplies to food pantries, first responders, or housing agencies. You can also take out toys and clothes for donation. There are online charity firms that accept contributions from across the globe.
Video Hangouts
James Brown and Sakuta Fukuda were trying their best to get married in January until COVID-19 disrupted their plans. After New York approved marriage through video ceremonies, the couple got married on a video hangout app.
Later they exchanged their vows on the app while being presided over by an official in Upstate New York through the video app. Family and friends watched the ceremony from across the globe. They had a neighbor as their witness, who took photos of the couple in their Manhattan apartment.
The executive order, which permits marriage through an audiovisual interface, comes with a set of regulations that have to be met. The couple has to provide their original identification cards, be residents of New York, and the ceremony has to be performed live.
Even with the pandemic and everyone practicing social distancing, you can celebrate your birthday, anniversary, or wedding. There are more creative and heartwarming options to celebrate events.
