Culture

13 Heartwarming Quarantine Celebrations for Special Occasions

Birthdays, anniversaries, and even weddings are still being celebrated safely.

By Kali Coleman
April 3, 2020
Kali Coleman
By Kali Coleman
April 3, 2020
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The coronavirus pandemic has made it feel a little like the world has stopped. But even as most people are practicing social distancing, birthdays, anniversaries, and more haven't just disappeared. Many people are still celebrating special occasions during this time—it's just that the way they celebrate has changed. People have had to get creative for quarantine celebrations and the results are both hilarious and heartwarming.

1. This man walked seven miles for his mom.

Mother's Day in the U.K. this year fell on March 22, and many people were isolated from mothers who fall into an older, more at-risk group. Still wanting to celebrate his mom, Scottish writer Irvine Welsh walked seven miles to see her—from a safe distance, that is.

2. This family created a "Club Quarantine" for their son's 21st birthday.

@emilytorchiaIt was a good time ##ButterGlossPop ##gamingszn ##selfquarantine ##coronavirus ##MoodBoost ##21♬ original sound – emilytorchia

As most people know, turning 21 is an important birthday. It's the first year you're legally allowed to drink in the U.S., which is a big deal to many young adults. So it's no surprise that as his big day was approaching, Jack Torchia being stuck in quarantine with his parents and sister was less than ideal. What he didn't know was that his family had set up an entire "Club Quarantine" in their detached-garage-turned-bar, complete with the whole experience of his dad as the bouncer and his mom as the bartender.

3. This husband serenaded his wife through a window.

No pandemic was going to stop Irish man Denis McCarthy from celebrating his 50th anniversary with wife Ann while she was isolated in a nursing home. The Irish Independent reported that because Denis could not sit by his wife, he stood outside her window and sang her favorite song, "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison.

4. This couple celebrated their anniversary Animal Crossing-style.

The popular game Animal Crossing has been a source of comfort for many people during this time, but especially for Janice Rosenthal and her husband. Since they couldn't celebrate their anniversary with their original plans, they recreated their wedding photos with Animal Crossing characters as a way to still honor their special day.

5. People celebrated a special holiday early, with a twist.

Since Halloween brings so many people joy, many people felt like there was no need to wait until October this year to celebrate. On March 31, Quarantine-o-ween was celebrated across the globe, with people dressing up and bringing the Halloween fun when everyone needs it the most.

6. This man celebrated his 101st birthday online with strangers.

In a time of social distancing, Owen's 101st birthday celebration for March 31 was cancelled. He turned to social media, where thousands of strangers wished him a happy birthday. His sign asked for 101,000 likes and he's already gotten over 159,000 on this one post, alone!

7. This sister hosted a birthday parade for her brother.

@sarahnjankeWhen it's your birthday in March 2020… ##covid19 ##quarantine ##quarantinebirthday♬ 22 – Cimorelli

With coronavirus cancelling most March birthday plans, Sarah Janke hosted an entire "birthday parade" with friends and family for her brother's 22nd birthday. Talk about making someone feel special!

8. This couple faked their anniversary cruise.

Norma and Dave were set for a 10-day cruise around the Pacific Islands to celebrate their 53rd wedding anniversary before the coronavirus hit, The Sun reported. After their plans were canceled, however, they managed to make the best of it by bringing the cruise to their own home.

9. This grandfather walked four miles to see his newborn granddaughter.

 

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This is not normal. This is not fun. This is actually the worst feeling ever – but I know this is temporary. • • Today, my dad walked over 4 miles to our house so he could see Elliana through the window… again. This has become a regular thing. It breaks my heart that my dad can't hold my daughter. However, as you can clearly see on my dad's face, he's overflowing with joy just to see her. He only got to hold her twice before #covid_19 locked us down. I hate that having a window between us is the only way she can see her grandpa – but again, I remember this is temporary. • • While my wife was pregnant, I don't think an hour went by where my dad didn't brag about becoming a grandpa soon. Now, his granddaughter is finally here and the only thing he can hold are the daily pictures we send him. However, he knows this is temporary. • • Even if you aren't worried about catching it yourself: #stayhome for the new dads and moms who can't wait to have the world meet their new baby. #stayhome for the grandparents who want to hold their new grandchild more than anything. #stayhome for the pregnant mom and nervous dad who are about to welcome home their newest family member. #stayhome for the greatgrandparents who know time is a gift. #stayhome for all the businesses who anxiously wait to open back up. #stayhome for the teachers and kids who are eager to get back to school. And especially, #stayhome for the doctors and nurses who are fighting this head on and would give anything to just #stayhome and hold their kids. • • If this grandpa can resist coming inside and loving his first grandchild, I know the rest of us can do this too. • • #girldad #thedad #stayhealthy #washyourhands

A post shared by Josh Gillett (@joshuagillett) on

Joshua Gillett posted a heart-wrenching photo of him holding his newborn daughter, Elliana, on Instagram, with his father just outside the window. According to Gillett's post, his father had only gotten to hold the baby girl twice before the coronavirus outbreak. Now he regularly walks four miles just to see her through the window.

10. This entire building sang "Happy Birthday" to their neighbor.

Hannah Chung sent out 76 invitations to strangers in her Los Angeles apartment building this March. The occasion? Inviting them all to bring a drink to their window and sing "Happy Birthday" as a surprise for her fiancé Jason Shields' 30th birthday while he was stuck inside. People even made birthday signs!

11. This woman took a note from Love Actually to celebrate her mom.

One woman took to her mother's doorstep—at a safe distance—to wish her a happy Mother's Day. Flipping though written signs like in the movie Love Actually, this woman's efforts brought tears to her elderly mother's eyes.

"I've just come to say on this sunny bright day, thank you for being my mum," one sign read. "We all wish we could give you a hug and a kiss."

12. This mom planned a drive-by birthday surprise for her daughter.

Since Katie couldn't celebrate her 12th birthday by having friends over, her parents arranged a surprise "drive-by" birthday where all her friends drove by with their parents to honk and yell "happy birthday!" It's safe to say Katie looked unbelievably surprised, and this is one birthday she won't forget.

13. This couple got married over Zoom.

Many people are postponing their spring weddings due to the coronavirus. But Ben Jackson and Sophie Austin decided to go forth with their celebration—while still abiding by social distancing rules, of course. The couple, who live in Croydon, England, had 300 people watch them tie the knot over a Zoom video chat, the Daily Mirror reported.

Kali Coleman
Kali is an assistant editor at Best Life. Read more
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