Birthdays during the pre-pandemic days were celebrated by cutting a cake bought from a nearby bakery. That changed with the lockdown, which somehow led to an explosion in creativity in the kitchen, with ovens firing away to bake exotic cakes at home.
Nonetheless, the most remarkable change in birthday celebrations is the making of the sentimental video. A close family member, undoubtedly a techno-savvy youngster, makes a secret request to the kin scattered around the world to make a video clip singing Happy Birthday to the birthday boy or girl, together with a message reminiscent of a shared nostalgic moment. The family scrambles to take selfies or shoot family videos and post it back in time.
Shooting for these videos is similar to the work done in big Hollywood productions. First, a strategic location is selected away from the junk in the house, usually in front of an indoor plant, painting or pet. Then comes the choice of costumes and accessories. Next, hours are spent choosing the best angle, panning away from any pimple, boil or scar. Lastly, the family members, the co-stars, are given their dialogues and cues. The sheer magnitude of the effort and the enthusiasm with which these are carried out call for an Oscar, no less!
The techno expert pieces together a movie-length recording of the videos, spliced with photographs of the person from birth to adulthood, quotes and floating hearts, to lilting background music, depending on the skill of the movie-maker.
Wishes pour in from so many relatives, some of whom were never so close earlier. The pandemic which has led to physical distancing has strangely brought together people across borders and distance. It has significantly improved overall creativity and has helped people foray into unknown territories of knowledge and skills.
Prior to the arrival of the novel coronavirus and the subsequent lockdowns, no one had bothered to use technology so extensively. Looking at it from a creative viewpoint, lockdown birthday celebrations have their own charm.
