PPB February 2021

Ce l ebr a t o r y Pr oduc t s by Kristina Valdez Making Up For Lost Celebrations B ecause of the pandemic, consumers everywhere have been forced to change the way they live, work and interact with one other. Thanks to the quick work of scientists, there is finally a light at the end of this tunnel, but it’s possible that our social lives will never actually go back to “normal.” Last March and April, during the early stages of the pandemic, MSN and NPR predicted the end of handshakes and hugs. Young people will even engage in less casual sex, according to The Economist. Der Spiegel, a Germany weekly news magazine with a circulation of nearly one million, declared “the end of night” because of the near-impossibility of practicing social distancing in bars and clubs. But COVID-19 is not the first virus to disrupt life globally or even radically alter the course of humanity, and it won’t be the last. And if history is a guide, this pandemic won’t stop people 2020 was the year of COVID cancellations, disrupting all kinds of major celebrations, from weddings and baby showers to graduations and birthday parties. Drive-by parades, Zoom calls and live streams helped us connect with family and friends as we rode out the pandemic. But since the distribution of early coronavirus vaccines in December 2020, this year offers the chance to re-celebrate a year-old milestone or observe an upcoming holiday or special occasion with extra gusto. 36 | FEBRUARY 2021 | GROW