As we pendulum between 24-hour curfews and total lockdowns here in the 242, it will take a bit more effort than usual to make a loved one’s birthday feel special. The good news is, if you can pull it off, it will go such a long way - we could all use a little birthday cheer these days. Us PartyStarters at Bahamia Rental have put our heads together and developed a list of top tips to celebrate a birthday in style, despite the circumstances.

1. Throw a Surprise Virtual Party

At the end of the day, birthdays are really all about family and friends. As Justin points out in his How To Throw an Amazing Virtual Party video, it’s never been easier to bring everyone together online. We recommend Zoom’s meeting service for its ease of use — and its brilliant virtual background feature.

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We know social gatherings are tough right now, but that doesn't mean you have to stop connecting with loved ones altogether - #PartyStarter Justin Lightbourne is here with some tips and tricks you can use to host an AMAZING virtual party! ⁠ ⁠ Shoutout to @ovadosethedj, @242mightypencil, and @selectafawteen for keeping the #partyspirit alive and well!

A post shared by Bahamia Rental (@bahamiarental) on Apr 8, 2020 at 12:06pm PDT

Pro Tip: Organize it so that all friends and family have joined the meeting 10 mins early. You you can use the extra time to coordinate your virtual backgrounds with fun pictures of the guest of honor, and practice/share the lyrics of your new birthday ballad (see tip #2). Break into song as soon as the celebrant enters the chat.

2. Re-think the Traditional Happy Birthday Song

Unfortunately, some health conscious person recommended that we sing the traditional Happy Birthday song as we wash our hands, as it works out to be about the right length of time needed to rid your wriggly fingers of ‘rona.

They meant well, but not even y98.7 could killl this song any deader than we done did by now!

An unintended side affect of course has been that most us have built a strong quarantine-fueled (read: negative) association with the ditty. I don’t know about you, but it’s the last thing I want to hear right now. The good news is that there are literally hundreds of alternatives that are just as easy to sing. With minimal effort, and a quick google search, your Zoom group can learn the lyrics, or even have them pulled up onscreen as you all belt out the tune.

3. Organize a Scavenger Hunt

You’ll want to get off the computer at some point though, and when you do, a scavenger hunt is an excellent way to squeeze fresh excitement out of your living space - which at this point I’m sure is something you desperately need.

Don't be daunted by this idea - if you’re not one who loves writing out sets of rhyming hints leading from clue to clue, there are easier variations on the scavenger hunt that also work well. You can simply hide an assortment of candies around the house or yard. If kids are involved, this is a fun way to engage the whole family.

4. Party in the Backyard

Soap and water are not just practical hygiene tools for fighting pandemics - in the right context, they’re a reliable source of family fun. Check out this classic Bahamia Beat Blog Post on 7 Simple Backyard Water-Fun Ideas if you’re looking for some birthday backyard inspiration that not only keeps you clean but also beats the heat.

5. Cook a Stellar Meal

Again assuming that you live under the same roof, you can still whip up a slammin’ birthday spread. Yes, the COVID-restrictions have resulted in long lines both at the storefront and till, but for the most part, Bahamian supermarkets have remained well stocked. With a little bit of planning there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to find everything you need to cook up your special someone’s favorite birthday meal.

Pro Tip: Don’t forget the cake! We’ve seen some fantastic quarantine-themed cake decorations out there, so recreate one or design your own. If you do, share it on Instagram and tag us in the photo - we’d love to see how it turns out!

6. Gifts

No doubt, gift-giving is going to be a little more difficult while we social distance, so you’ll have to get creative. The good news is that there has never been more amazing content to purchase online, so if your special someone has been eyeing a new video game or streaming service, it may be the time to pull the trigger. Similarly, gifting a good VPN subscription (allowing you to change ‘Bahamian’ Netflix into ‘US’ Netflix) gives a loved one access to tons of new content. Or, keep costs down and give coupons for their most-asked-for favours, like:

Movie Night - and they pick the movie
Back Massage & Foot Rub
Breakfast in Bed
“Day without Dishes”
Family Game Night - and they get to go first

We hope this list has sparked some ideas for things you can do to make someone’s special day a success, despite everything that 2020 has thrown our way. Also check out our recent post on Reconnecting with Family While Social Distancing - there’s plenty of family-fun inspiration there too. Had any creative brainwaves yourself? Let us know! We’ll add them to the list and credit you here.

Stay safe Bahamas - oh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!