It was just before 8 a.m. on March 19 when Alexondra Purnomo, a schoolteacher in Rome, decided that all rules were off. She was under coronavirus lockdown, but it was her birthday.
“Everybody was eating whatever they were eating, and chatting, and everybody obviously was drinking, because we are all in quarantine anyway,” she said. Pictures of gifts delayed in transit are printed out and wrapped up as place holders. Custom cakes are left on doorsteps. Packages are wiped down. Magic shows are performed online.
In times of high anxiety and stress, as during a war or a pandemic, adult behavior becomes more ritualized, said Dimitris Xygalatas, a professor of anthropology and psychology at the University of Connecticut. The meaning of birthday parties becomes more poignant, and the more effort they take and more witnesses they have, the greater the sense of importance, he said.
His mother, Kimberly Chester, thought of the idea while on the daily stroll her family had been taking through their Deerfield neighborhood since the shutdown. A day before Zane’s birthday, she asked neighbors on Facebook to put signs in their windows in bold letters, so he could see them as he walked by.
Elizabeth Shepherd, 35, a Brooklyn, New York, car service owner, canceled a resort trip for her March 26 birthday. She stayed home, grateful for the company of her wife, Mona, and the music they enjoyed together. “I am happy to be not sick, that is for sure,” Shepherd said.The shape of pandemic birthdays, especially for older people, can be dictated by risk tolerance.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: Mirror Celeb - 🏆 476. / 51 Read more »
Source: POPSUGARMoms - 🏆 117. / 63 Read more »
Source: RollingStone - 🏆 483. / 51 Read more »
Source: Mirror Celeb - 🏆 476. / 51 Read more »