Toilet paper cakes and cabin fever kits: COVID hasn’t stopped Charlotte celebrations
I nearly forgot my birthday this year. That’s a first. It came and went on Sunday — and I had not given it a single thought until a friend mentioned it a few days prior.
Given that we are living in the age of COVID-19 and gifting someone with toilet paper and hand sanitizer is now the highest form of love, it’s difficult to know how to celebrate. For my big day, I opted for the familiar comfort of my teen years, also known as the 80’s. I watched 16 Candles on repeat and threw in The Breakfast Club and some John Cusack movies for good measure. By the way, my teenage daughter is jealous that I got to grow up during that time, which all things considered lately, is quite understandable.
CharlotteFive asked readers how they are celebrating their upcoming birthdays and got a lot of very real responses. At least I am in good company, as others are struggling to find normalcy as they hit their own annual milestones.
Individuals and event-related businesses such as venues, florists, caterers and event planners across the country are having to adjust rapidly to the current conditions. Meanwhile, people still keep having birthdays, and they are seeking alternative ways to mark the occasion.
“With COVID crashing down on all our events from birthday parties, weddings, grand openings to nonprofit galas, we have new restrictive environment guidelines that we are working within,” said Ivy Robinson, owner of Ivy Robinson Events. “For instance, for my niece’s 1-year-old birthday party on April 2, our family is setting up Zoom, and we are all going to sing happy birthday to her. My sister-in-law is going to make the cake, which, now being at home, she has time to do.”
Creative social distancing party ideas seen in Charlotte:
Babe and Butcher is offering themed boards that feed 10 people (or less) for celebrating while practicing social distancing with family and friends. The company has also launched individual boxes featuring fruits, veggies, meats and cheeses, and desserts.
J. Leigh Events is offering downloadable Cabin Fever Party Kits during the stay-at-home order. Its event planning guide links to decor items that can be purchased online and local vendors available for delivery and curbside pickup.
Nailed It DIY studios are offering the possibility of virtual parties with customizable take-and-make kits for both children and adults that you can pick up or ship.
Sweet Spot Studio is launching virtual cupcake decorating birthday parties. All materials for the kids are provided, and Chef Monet Bloodworth will lead the party live online.
The Wow Factor Cakes offers a cookie decorating kit that includes: 6 plain sugar cookies, 2 buttercream colors, assorted sprinkles and 2 piping bags. Cookie shape option per kit includes Dinos, Sea Life, Cupcakes & Crowns, and Vehicles. Kits can be dropped to all the birthday party invitees so they can decorate together virtually.
Use Zoom video conferencing to host a virtual happy hour or a birthday party. (Sidenote from event planner Robinson: If I were to have a birthday party, I would hire Charlotte-based celebrity mixologist Bob Peters to do a virtual mixology class with all my friends. It just so happens that Unpretentious Palate and Peters are hosting exactly that on Tuesday, March 31.)
“I do not have children, but I remember how exciting birthdays used to be when I was a child. I can’t imagine going through this huge disruption in their daily lives as it is, and then feeling like their birthday is canceled. Hopefully, we can provide a fun activity that will give them a sense of normalcy!” Pastry chef and owner of Sweet Spot Studio Joselyn Lukacik told CharlotteFive.
We asked our readers what they are doing to celebrate — or not — during social distancing. Here’s what some of them said:
Amanda Ackovitz: Birthday is on 3/27. Fiance had to cancel a trip to a surprise destination, but I’ve asked him to keep it secret until we can do it in the future. Hoping to celebrate quietly at home. Honestly, my mom is struggling the most with not being able to see me for my birthday due to social distancing.
Gianna Agostino: It’s my 21st [crying emoji] Created an online classroom via ZOOM for all of my friends to join that night. Corona is not stopping the party.
Holly Barger: Son’s 18th and his prom was already canceled. We are all just waiting to hear about graduation …
Patrice Beasley: My birthday is Thursday (March 26). Plans of flying out are canceled. I’ll be home doing the usual Netflix and quarantine. I am not ok.
Dion Beary of Inside 485: I canceled plans for my 30th birthday. I went from a big group gathering to planning a series of small hangouts to finally canceling all plans after all the bars and restaurants were closed. Turning 30 by myself was hard. I’m a people person, so I really rely on interaction with people to fuel my confidence and energy. Some friends reached out with video messages, or sent lots of memes, or reminded me that as soon as this is over we’re going to have a real 30th birthday party. So while I’m not happy about it, I did appreciate everyone rallying around and recognizing that it’s a tough situation to celebrate a birthday through.
Riley Berrey: This is a birthday that I will definitely always remember as an interesting one for sure and perhaps tell my kids about one day. This experience has made me appreciate the companionship of my family even more as well as my friends who wished me a virtual Happy Birthday.
Jacqueline Casoria: I canceled my trip to Universal Studios, so I’ll be watching my own Harry Potter marathon.
Ryan Daley (via email): My birthday is March 28th and I had a big weekend planned with 3 of my friends flying down for Pinehurst golf school. We canceled the awesome house we rented, my friends canceled their flights, and Pinehurst resort is now closed. My wife and I have been quarantined and working from home for more than a week and we’ll probably celebrate my birthday with the two of us at our house grilling steaks and hanging out with the dogs.
JJ Getz: We live in Atlanta (but I work for a church in Charlotte). Our son’s 5th birthday party was canceled due to concerns about coronavirus. His birthday was March 18, and my husband and I put out an ask for birthday greetings on social media the day before. We received 60-70 birthday greetings including original songs, animations, drawings, a rap, poetry, home videos, dog photos, voice messages, memes, gifs, and more. We received greetings from as far away as England, Indonesia, and Argentina, mostly from people who have never even met him, and likely never will.
Here is his response. Even though we were at home the whole day, it was still special for Link and he felt super loved and seen. His dad also made him a carrot cake, and he received a much-anticipated Buzz Lightyear toy (among other gifts).
Stacey Kuhn: DaVita North Charlotte Dialysis nephrology social worker Stacey Kuhn’s birthday is on April 2, so her coworkers made her a cake that says “Stacey, sorry your birthday sucks!” She spent her birthday at work. “Nice to be celebrated and have a good laugh during these crazy times,” she told CharlotteFive. “I work with an amazing group of people and will definitely remember this birthday.
Leg Marshall: My son turns 5 in a few weeks. Guess we will play in the backyard with bubbles.
Billy Shugart: Had a self-isolation birthday! Dog was jamming to some music too!
Emily Sorokes (via email): My 30th birthday happened during the pandemic, last weekend on 3/15. It was weird timing because my family flew on Thursday and Friday, just as things were starting to get serious and hit the fan. By Sunday, my actual birthday, the news had gotten really serious. I dropped them off at the airport and as they walked away I cried in my car and said a prayer. I always cry when my family leaves, but this time it felt really ominous. My birthday felt totally depressing and scary. I spent the day worrying that I had put my family at risk by them flying down. Thankfully everyone is still fine and not showing any symptoms but whereas years before your “birthday week” goes on for days, this was drastically different.
Roberta Targino: My husband’s birthday is coming and I have no idea what to do to make it less awkward.
Kim Werner: Breaking quarantine to donate birthday blood on Tuesday.
Barbara Williamson: My daughter Susannah is in Smarr, Georgia. Her 36th birthday is today. We celebrated with a Zoom virtual party, complete with her own curated dance list and birthday cake (which is now in the freezer and will be shared at a later date.) Dance! No one is watching. Spotify playlist here.
Travis Wise: Mine was yesterday (March 22) and the best word to describe it was ‘awkward’. I don’t typically do anything big for my birthday (over 40 club) but just knowing I really couldn’t was surreal. Strange times.
Editor’s note: This story was originally published on March 31, 2020, and has been updated.
This story was originally published March 31, 2020 at 5:40 AM.
