Celebration Isolation: How To Celebrate Special Occasions In Lockdown

With so much of the world currently living under lock down conditions, new problems – which were unthinkable only weeks ago, have arisen. Take birthdays and anniversaries – how to celebrate? If you’re looking for ways to mark special occasions in isolation, read on…

While this global health issue has thrown the world into shock, it hasn’t taken away from our desire to celebrate life’s special moments. But given that only 5 people may attend a wedding in Australia right now, and other countries have banned social gatherings altogether, if you’re due to mark an important milestone such as a birthday, anniversary or wedding, what can you do? After all, quarantine and lockdown laws which advise to stay at home except for essential trips or medical appointments don’t exactly make it easy for those special moments.

However, the keyword for celebration is “different”, not “difficult”, and certainly not “impossible”.

Thanks to social media and free apps that allow you to meet family and friends in a virtual setting, your celebration does not have to be an isolated and solitary celebration – unless you want it to be.

Here are some ideas for celebrating when your isolating.

#1 – Dress up

While you may be at home in lock down or worse – quarantine, for your special celebration, that doesn’t mean you have to act like that way if you’re feeling perfectly fine! Make an effort to dress up to impress your significant other, friends or family, just as you would if it were an ordinary get-together. If you ‘fake it till you make it’ – and dress up just as if you were going for a normal night out, before too long you won’t notice the difference.

#2 – Exchange gifts

Despite many brick and mortar store closures, online retailers are open for business. Utilise your indoor time by browsing for the perfect gift and selecting one that’s as unique and special as the person you are celebrating. If you are arranging a gift from a group, you might want to add a digital greeting card that multiple people can sign. Services like EcardForest come in handy here. The effort will be very much appreciated, particularly if you are celebrating a milestone and looking for silver anniversary gift ideas, for example.

And if you are having an anniversary, then remember they’re not only about love and passion, but also gratitude and appreciation. For these reasons, anniversaries deserve a unique gift. A natural rose preserved at its peak of perfection in silver, is one such idea that is sure to make your loved one’s heart flutter.

#3 – Cook together

There’s nothing more romantic than cooking a meal with special people, even if you have to do it virtually. So look online to find a recipe that you already have the ingredients for and create something you will both enjoy. To make it easier, there are apps which allow you to input all the ingredients you have and they design recipes for you to choose from. Add the contents of your fridge, pantry and freezer into the app – the more ingredients you add, the more recipes you can make. You can even tailor the results to your favourite cuisine or dietary requirements. Voila.

#4 – Recreate Your First Date

This is great fun for couples who will be celebrating their anniversary while locked down at home with younger children. If your first date was at a cafe or casual dining venue, cook up the same kind of meal. If you went to the beach, lay out some towels and have a picnic. You can even try and remake the conversations you had on your first dates (cringe-factor permitting). It’s fascinating to reminisce and see what came to pass and how close or far you were from those crazy days.

#5 – A holiday of a lifetime

If you happen to have had a holiday of a lifetime booked to celebrate your special occasion, which is now cancelled, you can still make the most of it. For example, if you had a tropical getaway booked, don your bikini and cut-offs, play some party music, and mix up a few tropical cocktails. Relax with a glass of your favourite tipple and imagine you’re there.

#6 – Houseparty!

Whether you use Zoom, Google Hangouts or Facetime, arrange a time to hangout online. For more spontaneity, use the Houseparty app that allows groups of up to eight people get together virtually, in the same way you would at a house party. The spontaneity part comes from the app, which notifies you when your friends are online, and who they are talking to. This makes it super easy and fun to share your dinner and drinks together.