Kirtana Devaraj
Cannon Writer
The pandemic has impacted all facets of life and continues to do so one year later. Before the pandemic, we were used to going out on Friday nights; celebrating occasions with friends and families without being concerned about social distancing. However, since the pandemic hit, this has all been hampered. Some people have started going out again but it is still a health risk. It is possible to celebrate occasions virtually, while mostly replicating the in-person experience. Here are some tips:
- Organize a Zoom birthday – I have tried this for celebrating friends’ birthdays and it has been a huge success. Get on a Zoom call with all your friends and play fun online games such as skribble.io. And of course, don’t forget to sing happy birthday for your friend! Often in large Zoom calls, it is difficult for everyone to interact, hence, playing games allows everyone to be involved.
- Have a Kahoot night with your friends – A nice bonding activity with your friend group can be to try fun Kahoot quizzes. There are pre-made quizzes available on various topics such as world affairs, pop culture, etc. so there is something for everyone! Occasions can be celebrated by creating customized Kahoot quizzes related to that. A good way to organize a Kahoot night would be to hop on a video call, ask the host to share screen with the Kahoot questions and start playing!
- Have a virtual baking fiesta – Baking with friends and family is always very eventful and entertaining. While the same experience is not possible virtually, it can be replicated to some extent. Ask all members of your event to prepare the required ingredients, get on a call with them and start baking! You can see everyone baking and that is similar to baking with them in-person. Send pictures of your baked goods to each other too!
- Take part in a movie night using Netflix party – Movie nights are an integral part of any friend circle and that is something I am missing immensely. A virtual substitute for this can be the Netflix Party feature. This allows you to chat with your friends while watching a movie of your choice and is a great way to bring back movie nights!
- Host large events on virtual platforms – For events such as large family gatherings, or other large events, consider platforms such as Remo. While this is a paid platform, it allows you to customize the interface to make it seem more realistic and replicates the in-person experience very well. This will allow you to have events while safely social distancing!
These are just some ways to safely celebrate occasions until the time things get back to normal. Remember that the pandemic is not yet over and safety measures must still be taken.
As mentioned above, there are various ways to celebrate safely and have fun. Remember to do your part in social distancing and protecting yourself and others around you from COVID-19. Now I hope you have an idea of how to celebrate the next occasion safely!