Lockdown Birthday Blues: Students find ways to celebrate under quarantine

Ava, Staff Writer

 Being stuck at home and spending hours sitting around with the same people may not sound like a scene for celebration. It’s made some students with birthdays coming up less eager for their special day.

Despite the conditions, sophomores Francesca Dessert and Ffion Hughes are finding reasons and ways to celebrate. The two share a birthday, and have had to adjust their plans to follow quarantine requirements.

“My friend Ffion and I, who have the same birthday, were planning on having a pretty big sweet sixteen party,” Dessert said. “[Instead] me and my friends are going to have a six-feet-apart picnic.”

Their situation is an example of how spending time with friends has been affected by the coronavirus. Luckily, Hughes’ family plans are able to stay the same, with a slight difference in location and number of family members that can get together. 

“I’m planning on having dinner with my family as usual,” Hughes said. “If we weren’t quarantined, I’d probably be going out to eat and celebrating afterwards at my grandparents’ house.”

The sophomores have discovered that nothing will really make this birthday feel like others have. Dessert finds that it’s harder to get into a birthday mood, even with new celebrations planned out.

“It doesn’t feel like the day is my birthday,” Dessert said. “Leading up to it doesn’t feel like a celebration.”

As the day gets closer, Dessert is able to look on the bright side and look forward to celebrating more after quarantine is over. She gives a word of advice to anyone else with a birthday coming up. 

“Just try to stay as positive as possible,” Dessert said. “Postpone those plans until after quarantine.”

Both girls share a message of positivity and finding new ways to commemorate birthdays during this time. They are both able to visit with their friends and celebrate, even while staying six feet apart.

“I would tell anyone else with a quarantine birthday to still have fun even though we are under lockdown,” Hughes said.