The novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has thrown us all into a turbulent time. The various generations living today are witnessing perhaps a very important part of history as this pandemic takes hold of the entire world.
While we spend our time at home, in some cases, isolating ourselves from even our loved family and friends, the way we carry on with life has changed quite significantly. Everything from daily chores and buying groceries to work and academics have had to readjust to a new routine.
It is not just the regular activities that have been affected. Maybe even more so are how life events such as birthdays, anniversaries, and even weddings are being celebrated.
All platforms of social media saw a rise in individuals talking about how they were spending these life events alone or in the lucky, rare case, with one or a few loved ones.
If you are someone whose relatives or friends are struggling with the idea of celebrating their life events during this quarantine, you could definitely do something to celebrate and cheer them up!
Things You Can Do To Celebrate During This Quarantine
Here is a list of things you could try to do to make celebrations a whole lot more enjoyable even when you are self- isolating.
1. A Movie Night
There are several platforms and extensions that allow you to watch a movie simultaneously with your friends, irrespective of where you are. One such extension that is taking the online world by storm is Netflix Party.
This is definitely one alternative to your usual weekly night out at the club. You can now have Friday night parties again with your friends, this time, virtually!
With this extension, you can play and pause your movie or show at the same time. You can also chat with your friends while watching your show in a chat box that appears on the side of your screen.
Grab your favorite drink, a snack, and you are good to go! All you need is a Netflix account and a decent internet connection.
2. Video Call Party
While video calls were a personal way to wish someone even in relatively normal times, it is a tad more personal in the current circumstances. Just because you are in quarantine, does not mean your friend’s birthday or anniversary celebration has to be postponed!
Send out messages to the closest people of the person or people whose special event you want to celebrate and surprise them with a video conference party.
You can hold up placards, maybe even a few decorations, and get the party going! Each of you can even have your own drinks, and don’t forget to play some music to get into the true party spirit.
If you want to add a little jazz to the party, you could also have a time set aside to give the birthday person or the anniversary couple virtual presents. Using a free photo slideshow maker with music, you could make a short video of cherished memories and send it to them via email.
3. Do A Drive-by
There are several viral videos of friends driving past the houses of the person whose birthday it is to wish them. From children to adults, the individual stands outside and is handed gifts and cards from passing cars.
This ensures social distancing as no crowds gather in a single place while still making the birthday person feel special, a win-win for all!
4. Create A Video
One of the other options you have is to put together a video from everyone wanting to wish the person for their birthday/anniversary! It is a personal memento that will be treasured for years to come.
Reach out to people who will want to be a part of this and ask them to send in their special wishing messages. You do not have to restrict yourself to videos with just people speaking.
You could have someone sing while someone else does a funny dance. You could also put together everyone singing Happy Birthday, for example, to different tunes.
In addition to these video messages, you can add a series of photos with captions, maybe even some music. All in all, a video gives you the freedom to do whatever you want within the limits of not infringing on copyrights to put together something amazing.
There are several individuals and companies out there on the internet who can help you create your customized video. This, of course, will require some financial investment on your part.
If you are looking for something that you can do on your own, however, you can definitely find websites that allow you to make your own video. This could be a little time consuming, but the process is fairly simple and quite enjoyable.
You can find something like a YouTube clip maker or a slideshow creator amidst the wide array of video making software. Alternatively, you might want to go with the more traditional video to which you can add videos and photographs with music.
One such website is InVideo, a website for video creation. This is a tool that is often used to make homemade videos for different occasions, whether that is an invitation for a wedding, a showcase of your product, or in this case, a celebratory wish.
The interface of the website is user friendly and easy to navigate. All you will have to choose is the videos and images you want to see in the video. You can also find stock images that are free for you to use and put them in.
Your next step will be to choose a music track. Again, there are websites that have stock files of music that are often categorized by mood from which you can choose a track.
Alternatively, you may want to put in a voice-over for the entirety of the video or simply keep the individual audios you get with each video message. All of these options are available to you so you can customize the wish as you please!
The last part of making your video is adding in text. This could be as simple as you saying ‘To, ‘ and ‘From, all your friends and family’ or as elaborate as you want to make it, the choice is entirely yours!
To Wrap it up
The time we find ourselves in today is unprecedented. It is a difficult time, and each of us has our own ways to cope with what we are facing. But, not being able to be in a place together physically does not mean you cannot still celebrate together!
Make sure that when you do celebrate, you are abiding by the rules in your region for the quarantine. Your first priority should always be ensuring your safety and health. Here’s wishing you and yours a safe and happy celebration!