Birthday celebrations are just another thing on the long list of activities that were negatively affected as a result of the pandemic. A typical high schooler’s birthday might be spent with their friends and going out to have a nice meal or taking a road trip to a place with a nice view to take cute pictures. Let alone traveling, the presence of COVID-19 has restricted all activities that include meeting other people who aren’t family and going to public areas with a lot of strangers. So, how are students making the most out of their birthdays?

Although students may not be able to go to fancy restaurants for their birthdays, they can still cook up elaborate and fancy dinners at home.

Senior Rachel Loh said that “For [her] dad’s birthday, [they] had a picnic at the park and ate ribs and homemade chocolate cake.”

This is just a fraction of the endless possibilities of scrumptious dishes that can be enjoyed without engaging in direct contact with strangers. If your family does not feel like cooking, “DoorDashing” or “Postmating” dinner is another great option.

As for fun pastimes to enjoy during birthdays, a few students reported that quarantine has allowed them to spend more time than usual bonding with their families.

“I have spent more quality time with my family. I had birthday breakfast and dinner with them and shared past memories as well,” junior Cathy Shin said.

If it weren’t for quarantine, some cherished birthday memories with family would never have been made. Cathy also said that she hasn’t “been able to meet with [her] friends, but still [wishes] them happy birthday through text messaging or Facetime.”

Sophomore Alexa Litonjua said that her family “spent [their] birthdays watching movies, doing puzzles, and just bonding as a family at home.”

A few other safe yet fun activity ideas include decorating birthday cakes, playing board games, decorating the house, listening to upbeat music to bring up the mood, watching movies with friends through the app Houseparty, and even possibly having a small car parade for the birthday person. Thanks to all the technological advancements our electronics have gone through, Zoom sessions and other types of video calls with long-distance family members and friends are great alternatives to risky traveling and meeting in person.

It is rather unfortunate that COVID-19 has forced most of us to alter our usual birthday plans, but it is also both refreshing and wonderful to hear that our fellow students are still finding ways to have fun and enjoy their birthdays even in quarantine.

Graphic courtesy of FIVERR.COM