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Have you had your birthday in lockdown?

(97 Posts)
MarionHalcombe Sun 26-Apr-20 17:14:19

If so, how did you make it different?

I'm a bit down about it. I realise this is a very small problem but these strange times make small problems grow.

Dh was planning to cook a lovely meal, he's a very good cook but I'd rather have his company than him spending hours in the kitchen.

Dd and family will come and stand in the garden which will be nice/make me cry.

We wondered about getting our fire pit out but it's forecast rain.

We are both working full time from home and pottering about at weekends. My birthday is on a weekend.

What did you do? Do I sound selfish, I think I do.

t42and24t Mon 27-Apr-20 06:16:07

My 70th birthday was Easter Sunday ,a week before I collapsed with a shattered femur,Which was caused by a lymphoma.so spent in hospital isolated!! Our golden wedding was on 25th April much had been planned . But out of hospital under chemo regime now .
Our neighbours came around on sat all sitting over two metres apart around the garden with cakes ,bubbly and a young lady playing and singing loads of 70s songs on her harp.We had a wonderful day ,and a joyous occasion

Corkie91 Mon 27-Apr-20 06:52:29

Yes my birthday was Easter Sunday my daughters was a few days before. First time ever we.ve not celebrated together missed mothers day as well. Were going to go to the theatre and a nice meal. Have lost some money over it. Husband cooked me a nice meal, but it was so different.

jenpax Mon 27-Apr-20 07:58:59

You aren’t being selfish and I don’t agree that birthdays are less important with age! Certainly I value my birthday and always used to treat my parents on theirs when they were still here.
It’s only one day a year and it’s lovely to be feeling special for that day especially if the rest of the year you are working and caring for others.
Two of my grandsons are having lock down birthdays one will be turning 10 and the other 3 so it’s really hard on them as they will not be having the previous zoo trip that was promised but we are hiring a hot tub and small bouncy castle and a special takeaway tea for each of the days.
You probably won’t want a bouncy castle? but a tea delivery or similar might be a nice way to celebrate.

Saggi Mon 27-Apr-20 08:23:56

My grandson had his 13 th birthday in lockdown with his 8 year old sister and his dad. My daughter who is separated from her husband couldn’t be there as she is in shielded , and also had to hand the children over to him for three months,she speaks to them every evening, and also watches the same tv programs sometimes with her little one. The best of a bad job. But that’s just one birthday , hopefully she’ll be there or Thera outs for his next 40.

pigsmayfly. Mon 27-Apr-20 08:31:27

I had no expectations at all for my birthday. It seemed unimportant in the scheme of things. My husbands birthday was just 3 days before mine. We had 2 lovely meals provided by my step daughter who shopped for everything we needed for our birthday meal as a present - which was the best thing ever. Hubby and I chose presents for each other online and my daughter bought a lovely present which she stood in the garden a safe distance away to deliver. My birthday was made by the thoughtfulness of others and I was very lucky.

granfromafar Mon 27-Apr-20 08:50:36

My 65th was last Saturday and was marked with a great Zoom get-together with the family. We did the same for each of the 3 grandchildren who had birthdays this month and will do for my elder son's on Thursday. (Same day as Captain Tom!)
Instead of going to the theatre as planned we had a take away delivered from the local Chinese. It's more important to see everyone safe and well sitting in front of a computer screen and any plans to go out can be postponed.

rowyn Mon 27-Apr-20 10:14:24

My daughter is 40 on Saturday. Will obviously phone, but the best I can do re celebrations at the moment is to organise an e voucher for her to order a takeaway for self and partner ( who is not a cook!).

SkyBird Mon 27-Apr-20 10:33:46

My birthday was last week and I had a lovely day. Over four hours on the telephone/Zoom. My DH gave me his debit card with the instruction to buy myself a present. Cheeky Devil. Our lockdown in Spain at that point was very strict and the postal service is in disarray. We had four holidays booked which are now cancelled. When this is all over we will have a wonderful holiday. DH has a birthday in early May during our lockdown. A double celebration will be held later this year. Incidentally I am not recognising the additional digit.

Oopsminty Mon 27-Apr-20 10:40:11

I can understand totally! Strange times indeed.

My birthday, at the end of February was the last time we had a family 'do'.

We were due another at the end of March but of course that was put on hold

Since then we've had grandson's 9th. birthday, son -in law's, daughter-in-law's and then daughter's and her boyfriend's next month

So we've had virtual birthdays and Easter get togethers via
Whatsapp

Have a Happy Birthday, MarionHalcombe

You'll probably never forget it!

And look forward to when you can have a belated knees up

Redrobin51 Mon 27-Apr-20 10:47:12

Yes I've had mine. As an only child with very practical parents and very little money I was never made a fuss of in fact I was 32 before ever had a birthday cake and that was from work. Only myself and my husband who has health problems so I think it is a marvelous birthday if I get to go out to a garden centre and have a meal. I had fewer birthday card as my friends aren't renowned for being organised so hadn't bought one before lockdown. One of us has been ill in so many of my birthdays or we have had some family crisis that never expect much so are never disappointed it is just par for the course for me.x

WOODMOUSE49 Mon 27-Apr-20 10:58:42

My daughter was 50 last Friday. Separated from partner and her daughter of 15 lives with her. Two weeks ago she was really down as the planned party with all her friends (2 were coming from Europe (Stockholm and Amsterdam) had been cancelled.

So, I arranged a ZOOM party. All the friends and more were invited and they chatted for nearly an hour with the promise to meet up when safe to celebrate it properly.

One friend lit 5 candles and with all had a glass in hand to wish my daughter well,

After the chat she cooked her birthday dinner which included a chocolate soufflé (first one!).

Looking at the previous comments, it looks like she wasn't alone in celebrating a birthday on the 24th !

Had a lovely message from her late that night thanking me. Said it was a very special thing I did, I love and miss her so much.

Bijou Mon 27-Apr-20 11:38:39

My 97th Birthday is on Friday. I have never bothered about birthdays, prefer unbirthdays. My son is arranging a video get together and I shall feel very embarrassed. He arranged a huge party at a hotel for my 90th and I hated it.
My husband was the same. When we were first married he was working away in Italy and he wrote to me saying “I think it is someone’s birthday soon. Send them a card.” It was mine.

Mrsdof Mon 27-Apr-20 11:39:18

Yes it’s actually my 71st Birthday today, it was my 51st wedding anniversary last week and my eldest son’s 50th birthday next week. Had a video wishing me happy Birthday from my two youngest grandsons, spoke to my middle son in Melbourne and will shortly be going for a walk followed by a nice £12 dine-in meal from M&S. Feeling a bit down but what can you do. We are all in the same boat we just have to make the best of it. Hopefully next year will be better. smile

Annabel7 Mon 27-Apr-20 13:32:43

I shall be 77 on May 7th, and had this brainwave(mad idea) to have a virtual zoom disco with 6 family households, one in USA. We are decorating our party rooms with fairy lights , strobes? having a small finger buffet, and choice of drinks, a volunteer DJ, and best of all My granddaughters ( 5) 2 of whom are missing their school leaving prom, are going to wear their prom dresses, for us all to admire. dress for the rest will be "wild" however that feels, and most importantly it will be time limited to 3/4 hour - a great start to the Bank Holiday is the verdict - heres hoping!!

CathTheWise Mon 27-Apr-20 14:12:33

My friend had her birthday party via Zoom, there were some internet connection troubles but in general everything was fine. She ordered a delivery for herself and her family and we delivered our presents to her with the help of couriers. She also did a little smartshow documentary about her staying at home and it was so funny! tbh, I woulnd't think Zoom party could be so nice.

Helena1 Mon 27-Apr-20 16:53:22

It's not my birthday until the end of May, by which time we might be able to have a small celebration... hmm It was my middle granddaughter's 11th birthday on St George's Day, at least I was able to pop her card through the letterbox and then retreat to have a brief conversation with her from the bottom of the path - my heart goes out to the longer-distance grandmothers who cannot even have that amount of 'contact' with precious grandchildren flowers

Thirdinline Mon 27-Apr-20 21:46:29

It was DH’s birthday yesterday. He was 64, so we sang along to the Beatles to him. The weather was glorious, so we had a bbq in the garden. We are fortunate in that when lockdown started, we already had 2 of our adult DSs working from home and a third joined them immediately, along with his girlfriend. Only our disabled DS, who lives in a residential care home, was absent. We all contributed to the cooking and drank to his good health. All things considered, I think he had a lovely birthday.

Flygirl Mon 27-Apr-20 23:53:51

It's both my daughter's and my birthday this week....(and it was our Ruby Anniversary on the 12th, when we ordered a takeaway meal to be delivered). What else can you do, apart from just to get on with it? We shall still have our cards to open...I shall ring my daughter and chat, I've arranged for various bits to arrive at her house on the actual day, and we shall talk on the phone. I'm sure it'll be repeated 2 days later on my birthday, too. We shall make up for it whenever we can. It's no big deal.

almostelderly Tue 28-Apr-20 00:02:00

It's my partner's birthday on Thursday. We we're visiting his 94 year old mother in Wales, she is in a care home, and we were caught in the lockdown. On the bright side, we are staying in the family home, just the 2 of us and our dog, and we have a beach within walking distance. So his birthday will be a mini celebration in unusual circumstances.

MissAdventure Tue 28-Apr-20 15:26:19

Some of these reduced celebrations sound really lovely.
My day turned out lovely, too.
Three cups of tea made for me by my usually lazy grandson, then dinner cooked by him, followed by another tea. smile

I felt like a queen!

Janal1 Tue 28-Apr-20 16:56:02

My Granddaughters birthday was 21st april my Husbands was 25th April,my Grandsons is on 11th May,my Son-in-Law's 50th is on 15h May,my Son is 23rd May & my Daughter-in-Law is 25th May.
I think this is the first year we haven't all got together so i'm busy trying to send presents out to everyone.