Not having friends or family around for birthdays and other special events is unfortunate, but there are still ways to make the best out of these days. We’ve put together a few ways for you to celebrate your birthday in style, or make someone else’s big day extra special, without leaving your couch.
Image: Pexels
Although we all understand the importance of Stage 4 lockdown and social distancing right now, missing out on important days can still be a bit of a bummer.
Here are 6 ways to spend your birthday during lockdown
1. Digital keepsakes. For those who are living alone, or are far away from their loved ones during this time, making memories together will need to get more creative. Luckily, there’s an app created with our current situation in mind.
2. Virtual experiences. Who would’ve thought that, during lockdown, you could still enjoy a local jazz club’s cocktail hour, do a mind and body class with an Olympian, or do sound bath meditation with a Singapore DJ? Airbnb recently announced the launch of Online Experiences, in a bid to allow people to explore the world from home, while also giving their Experience hosts a way of continuing to earn an income.
SEE ALSO: 5 books to read during the lockdown
3. Friends’ night out. Lockdown doesn’t mean you can’t buy tickets to online events, like music concerts, stand-up comedy, and interesting collabs. Traditional ticketing platforms, like Quicket, have pivoted to enable this sort of online entertainment.
4. Celebrate in real-time. If you’re just longing to hear a chorus of your friends and loved ones singing Happy Birthday in unison, Google’s premium video conferencing platform, Google Meet is now free for everyone everywhere and is the perfect place to gather friends and family in one place, at the same time, for an unforgettable celebration. Birthday party guests just need a Google email address in order to sign up and enjoy video conferencing features like screen sharing, real-time captions, and video layout toggle preferences.
SEE ALSO: 5 ways to help small businesses survive lockdown
5. Get into the vibe. There’s nothing like music to make a special occasion even more memorable. Being on lockdown doesn’t mean that you can’t turn up and have a good time on your special day. You can use music streaming apps such as YouTube Music, Spotify or Apple Music.
6. Dinner date. With Stage 4 regulations allowing the delivery of food from restaurants, why not treat yourself to a fancy dinner from one of your favourite spots? If you’re planning a birthday for someone, turn your dining room into a restaurant – write up a menu, set the scene with music, and light those candles. At least it’ll feel different from your usual meals.