Since the pandemic has cancelled celebrations around the country, many people have discovered alternative ways to recognize birthdays and other major events. One of the most popular practices is drive-by parades to celebrate anything from birthdays to weddings. After releasing a letter in early May discouraging the practice of parades, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy clarified that he actually does condone drive-by celebrations.
May 9, 2020, the New Jersey Department of Education delivered a message from Governor Murphy to stop organizing drive-by celebrations since they disobey the unnecessary travel bans and stay at home requirements. “In light of the components of Executive Order No. 107, and in the best interest of the health and safety of the public, in-person ceremonies, including graduations, all parades, including ‘wave parades,’ that invite people to gather at a certain location, proms, and other similar celebrations violate the enumerated conditions of the order, and should therefore be cancelled or postponed until such time as these restrictions are lifted,” stated the letter.
Recently, May 23, 2020, the New Jersey State Police issued another letter to the Department of Education that said, “a wave parade that does not summon students or individuals to one location … is certainly not in violation.” Members of the MFS community offered their viewpoints on the safety of drive-by celebrations.
Following Governor Murphy’s original announcement Aani Desai ’22 was hesitant to participate in wave parades. However, she said the recent update assured her that these celebrations are safe.
“I think drive by celebrations, as long as they comply with all social distancing guidelines, are a great way to see friends and family during these times,” commented Desai.
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On the other hand, Sumin Kim ’23 has always felt comfortable with participating in drive-by events.
“I think that Phil Murphy should’ve been okay with it from the get-go,” said Kim.
Kim’s friends surprised her on her birthday by organizing a drive-by. “I really loved my drive-by because it just made me so happy that my friends made the effort to see me and make posters even though we are all apart right now,” said Kim.
Another fan of drive-by celebrations is Kendall Borbi ’22 who spoke about her experience with a friend’s birthday: “The drive-by was a great way to see friends in a safe environment due to the current situation … it was very different [than a typical celebration], yet it’s the best we have for now, so it was great.”
An alternative to drive-by celebrations are virtual parties. In addition to companies and schools using technology such as Zoom and FaceTime to stay connected, social gatherings are also being hosted over these platforms. Virtual parties are a safer option than drive-by events since they completely avoid physical contact, abide by stay at home orders, and do not require unnecessary travel.
Desai ’22 reflected on her experiences with virtual parties.
“One of my friends had her birthday party over zoom and we all dressed up and played games. It was a lot of fun to be able to connect with a larger group of people and celebrate together,” said Desai. “Three of my family members, two of whom don’t live with me, celebrated their birthday during quarantine. For these we set up family zoom calls to talk and for one of them we ate dinner together which was a really fun way to simulate actually being together.”
Whether over a virtual platform or celebrations from six-feet away, members of the MFS community are determined to keep spirits high for birthday celebrations.
