Many people have been affected by lockdown when it comes to enjoying celebrations of one kind or another. My eldest son has had friends celebrating their 16th birthday and my youngest has friends who have had their 13th birthdays during lockdown. There have also been big anniversaries, engagement parties and weddings that were supposed to be happening but have either been postponed or cancelled, and an alternative way of celebrating has been found. It is not easy and it can be very frustrating for those who had great plans and expectations however it is important to be celebrating special occasions rather than ignoring them.
Celebrating Special Occasions Must Continue
We had a huge event to celebrate last week – our sons barmitzvah. Normally they are held in synagogues surrounded by friends and family with a big party afterwards. My son realised that the party would have to be postponed till whenever it is safe to have it. As people couldn’t attend as usual, the ceremony would be on Zoom instead, so that it could be shared online with friends and family. We got through it and did everything we could to make it enjoyable. We were creative – outsourced caterers to provide dinners, got cupcakes made, took distancing photos of the event, added humour to the ceremony and made it as interactive as we could for my son. We arranged for his friends to drop by one at a time to see him and they gave him doorstep presents. I know other people have had friends make videos or have zoom magicians or discos!
I tell you this because we could not change the situation we were in and by celebrating we were feeling hopeful about what life could be like after lockdown. Some celebrations can be moved easily but some moments can’t and life would be again about celebrating without restrictions, and of course, we have to celebrate what we have when we can. We saw this as a special moment and it will definitely be one to remember. Just because we could not celebrate in the normal way of throwing parties and gathering people, we could still celebrate. If we shift our mindset and that of our children to be more positive about the event then they may actually have a great day.
Have you had to postpone or alter celebrating special occasions due to COVID-19 lockdown? How did your children deal with the situation and did they enjoy their day in the end? I’d love to hear how you’ve been celebrating during lockdown. Please leave a comment below or via my social media channels.
