It’s customary to celebrate a person completing another year of life on their birthday. Unlike other special occasions such as Christmas and Valentine’s Day, birthdays are personal, so it’s normal to celebrate the birthday person’s special day with presents, a birthday party, or a special activity.
It isn’t always possible to celebrate someone’s birthday in person. Sometimes, you may want to celebrate a birthday with someone who lives far away. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, families, and friends had to find creative ways to celebrate long-distance birthdays because of social distancing requirements. So whether your birthday person’s living on the other side of the country or traveling for work, you can use these tips to celebrate their birthday and make their birthday special.
1. Surprise them with a birthday bouquet.
Sending a birthday person flowers is a classic birthday gesture and a great way to celebrate a birthday from afar. A florist can arrange a beautiful bouquet filled with their favorite flowers. Bouquets typically last for between one and two weeks, which means the recipient will be able to enjoy the bouquet for several days. Then, add a personal touch by choosing a floral arrangement with a box of candy, a piece of jewelry, or a decorative vase. You can also include a birthday card with the bouquet.
2. Schedule a Zoom dinner date.
You can be face to face while celebrating your family member or friend’s birthday even if you can’t be with them in person. Thanks to video chat apps, such as Zoom, Skype, and Facebook Messenger, it’s possible to have a virtual dinner date.
First, schedule a time for dinner. You can sign your birthday person up for a boxed meal delivery service plan and make plans to prep your food together before you eat dinner. You can also order them dinner from a local restaurant that delivers food. This is a great way to give them a thoughtful gift and ensure they don’t have to make their birthday dinner. Plus, if you plan, you can enjoy the same dish. You can also add a birthday dessert if you opt to have their meal delivered by a restaurant.
3. Ship them a present.
Sending a present in the post may seem pretty traditional, but it’s fun to get a surprise package in the mail. This can be a fun way to surprise someone with local and personal items, particularly if you’re celebrating with someone who’s moved away to attend college or start a new job. For example, a Marylander who’s moved to Oregon for college may enjoy some crab chips and Berger Cookies.
You can also combine some personal gifts with a gift card, enabling them to pick up something special for themselves. And whether you use snail mail or a courier service, one of the best things about shipping a present is that you can send them a personal birthday card.
4. Plan a birthday streaming party.
Work with other friends or family members to plan a virtual surprise birthday party for teens and tweens. One of the pluses of virtual parties is that you can include friends and family members from around the globe. Coordinate with other friends or family members and choose a video chat platform for your party. Set up a time and make sure everyone’s got the right time for their time zone. A virtual surprise party is a fun way to gather with others to mark a special occasion, even if you can’t be together in person, and it’s easy to combine your virtual surprise party with dinner.
5. Have a movie date.
Watching a movie can be a great way to escape and relax. Watching movies with other people provides a shared experience. Whether you like seeing how another person reacts to the movie or look forward to discussing the movie after it’s over, watching a movie can be a fun way to spend time with someone.
Plan a virtual movie night and use a video chat app to see the birthday person while they’re watching the movie, or you can use a Watch Party app to view movies together on a streaming platform. Whether you opt to video chat after the movie’s over or use Discord to react to the movie in real-time, watching a movie together can be a great way to spend time together and celebrate a long-distance birthday.
When you cannot spend someone’s birthday with them in person, you can make plans to celebrate a long-distance birthday. There are several ways to celebrate with the birthday person, including sending them flowers or a gift. You can also plan a dinner date, a virtual surprise party, or have a virtual movie night.