More than a year after the crisis and here we are, still practicing health and safety precautions to avoid spreading and getting the virus. We all celebrated a birthday during the pandemic, and it is seems like this will go on until who knows when. Even if we get tired of pandemic birthdays, we have no choice but to go with the flow.
If you are tasked to organize a birthday party in the middle of the crisis, you might be torn between pushing through with the party or not. After all, it is not as fun to host an event in the middle of a crisis as it was pre-pandemic. But know that there are things you can do to ensure the fun safety of the event.
There are some major considerations you ought to keep in mind when it comes to parties in a pandemic. Aside from the experience of the guests and the celebrant, you also need to maximize every effort to ensure the health and safety of everyone. Here are a few ideas on how you can make a birthday party during the crisis fun and memorable.
Choose Your Numbers Wisely
Every state and country has a recommendation as to how many people are allowed to gather indoors and outdoors. You will need to determine the setting of the party and check how many people can comfortably fit in the venue while practicing social distancing. For best results, you may choose an outdoor venue and rent a reliable sound system.
According to the Center for Disease Control and prevention, longer events are not advisable. So it is best to keep the party short but meaningful. So, try to keep the party short, make sure the guests understand the importance of social distancing and mask-wearing, and that there seats available for everyone at a safe distance.
When choosing guests, it would be best to choose close loved ones who don’t need to travel just to get to the party. The more people traveling via plane and other public transport, the more likely they are to be at risk of exposing themselves to the virus. If there are significant numbers of cases in the community and you have immunocompromised members, it would be best to keep the party to yourself.
Stick to the Rituals
A study shows enough evidence on how important birthday celebrations are. There are certain birthday rituals that provide a sense of importance and significance to the celebrant. Sticking to the important rituals can be enough to complete a celebrant’s day.
The two things you should not forget are sharing meals with the guests, and giving the celebrant his cake, gifts, or cards. While games can be fun, it would be best to choose the kind of games that do not require close contact with one another.
Add an Element of Surprise
Since not everyone can come to celebrate, you can use this time to add an element of surprise. For one, you can organize a secret Zoom party, making sure everyone that the celebrant loves and keeps close to their hearts are available. You can ask for special birthday greetings from the Zoom guests and come up with a video or slide showing their fun memories together.
For the other loved ones who are near but can’t stay long enough for the party, you can organize a surprise parade party. You can ask the celebrant to stand in their yard while their loved ones parade in their car showcasing balloons and banners and tossing their cards and gifts to the celebrant. You, in turn, can hand out packed birthday meals to share with the guests parading.
You can even consider monetary gifts for the celebrant, with the guests sending their love to the celebrant’s bank account. This can be a safe way to extend their greetings while offering their help without the risk of exposure. The celebrant then gets to decide where to use the money they got for their birthday.
Provide Everything Everyone Needs to Be Safe
Aside from the must-haves, it also becomes necessary that you provide everything everyone will need to make the party safer. For one, make sure you have sanitizers around the venue and guests can have access to soap and water during the party. It would be best to stick to disposable plates and cutlery, packed food and drinks, and even free disposable masks and gloves for everyone’s disposal.
This will help ensure there is less hand-to-hand contact between the guests. Remind everyone of the health and safety standards every once in a while. If you will be hiring an event organizer or a venue, make sure all of their staff are also following strict health and safety protocols.
Hosting a party during a crisis can be tricky. There are so many things you need to think about just to ensure everyone’s health and safety. But keeping these things in mind will help reduce the risk of anyone getting and spreading the virus during the event. Never take anyone’s health for granted and your loved one can have a more memorable birthday party even in the middle of the crisis.
Meta title: Areas You Need to Consider Before Throwing a Birthday Party amid the Pandemic
meta desc: Birthday parties can have a huge impact on a celebrant’s life, no matter their age. Learn what you can do to host a safe and successful birthday bash during the COVID-19 crisis.
