It's true, we are at home and we are social distancing from each other. But that doesn't mean we can't have a birthday party we'll remember for a lifetime.
Here are some suggestions for birthday parties in quarantine, both for the celebrants and those who want to give something to the celebrants!
1. Send a greeting card to the birthday boy or girl
The easiest way to show your love to the birthday boy or girl is to send him/her a card. If you live close enough (in the same municipality!), you can drop it in his/her mailbox, otherwise you can also send an e-card! You can find free e-cards on websites such as ojolie.com, openme.com, someecards.com, greetingsisland.com, wrongcards.com, crosscards.com, etc.
2. Throw a virtual birthday party using Zoom (or other video calling apps)
Create a "meeting" on Zoom and invite all your friends to virtual "happy hours". Video quality is flawless on Zoom, and you can see each participant's face in a simple grid view. But if you are the one who wants to organize a party for someone else in Zoom, you can invite them to a group conversation, where all the participants sing "happy birthday" to them when they log in.
3. Deliver champagne to the birthday boy or girl's doorstep
They might not actually be able to toast live, but that doesn't mean they can't say it "Cheers!" There are quite a few options to have champagne, wine or other beverage of choice delivered to your doorstep. Check the online stores of Slovenian wine producers and order delivery!
4. Host a Netflix party
If you love movies, plan a virtual movie party. You and your friends download the extension Netflix Party for Chrome and you will be able to watch the same movie on Netflix at the same time (maybe a series). Synchronized video playback is available in the extension, which means that everyone will pause and resume the movie at the same time. There is also a chat room where you can share your opinions about the movie.
5. Send a dessert to the birthday boy or girl
A great way to support local industry in these difficult times is to order a "sweet gift" from them and send it to the birthday boy or girl. So choose a local pastry shop and send a cake or other form of sweet surprise.
6. Prepare a group exercise at home
If you are one of those who also spend their birthday actively, get together with your friends for a virtual group workout. During the coronavirus pandemic, you have many exercises available on YouTube, and you can also log in to the websites of Slovenian "miganja" providers. They offer you training at Telekom, at Lidl, etc.
7. Drive by their house and do something special
Of course, we have to keep social distance in mind, that's not an issue here at all. We can still drive past the house of the birthday boy or girl (if he lives in the same municipality!) with balloons and the inscription "ALL THE BEST!". Call them to look out the window and sing them "happy birthday"!
8. Go to a museum, zoo or theme park together...virtually
A birthday is a great opportunity to learn something new! Museums, zoos, galleries, theme parks, ... from all over the world offer you free virtual tours. This means you can go to the Louvre (ooh laa laa), the Vatican Museums, the San Diego ZOO, etc. from the comfort of your couch. Create a group conversation to chat as you comb the long corridors and showrooms together.
9. Write a song for the birthday boy or girl
If you have this gift, i.e. the gift of music, write a song for your friend and sing it to him via video chat. And even if your composition is not a masterpiece of the first kind (or in a major), it is the intention that counts! If your whole group is more artistic in nature, have everyone join in the video conversation and present their artistic creation for the birthday boy or girl. So it can be a composition, a song, a speech, a dance or an artistic painting.
10. Don't forget the glamour
Even if you're forced to spend your birthday indoors, that doesn't mean you have to be in your pajamas. Come up with a theme for your virtual party and have everyone act accordingly. It can be Hollywood glam, rock'n'roll, 90s of the last century, dancing in masks, etc. The possibilities are endless!
