A special day is a special day- an impending pandemic looming over your head or not! As we are in the mid of lockdown, and your anniversary is swiftly approaching, your usual anniversary date of dinner and drinks in your favorite restaurant might go down the drain. You have made peace with the fact, rather begrudgingly, that any extravagant plan for your anniversary might have to be withheld till the world is set right again. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s your anniversary, and not doing anything on that day seems extremely sad. The thought of Netflix-and-chill over yesterday’s Chinese, as you spread over the couch in four-day hair and oversized T might not be the most comforting thought (but if that’s more your type of celebration, we say-why not!). And let’s be honest, you both need a bit of cheering and celebrating during this time, right? 

So, here we go, some amazing at-home date ideas to make your anniversary stand a little bit taller than all those other days. Some of these are good for regular date nights-in too. Take this, COVID-19!

Perfect Start

Classic breakfast in bed never disappoints! But we say, go a step further and order in a fancy breakfast for the both of you. Make it an elaborate and indulgent affair. This way, you get a head start to make someone’s day right when the day starts, instantly putting them in a good mood. It sets the tone for the day, leaving you both happy and content, so its a win in our book. This works especially well if the anniversary happens to be on a workday and you are both working from home that day. It will surely leave you both smiling throughout the day.

Make the Perfect Gift

Remember the sepia-tinted days of handmade cards and mixtapes made painstakingly for a crush? There is something about making something special for your love and that too from scratch. How about you postpone your real presents for AC (After COVID) and whip up something sentimental instead. How about a special playlist, something crafty or DIY which you take pride in, or just something related to your memories together? We guarantee this will be held closer to the heart and will be showcased proudly forever. And also- crafting might be a fun activity to go together, as it takes you on a ride to your childhood days, expands your creativity, and lets you rediscover the feeling of spending time together.

Cook from the Past

There is an unmistakable sense of intimacy that goes with cooking a meal together. It is surely a sensual activity and the shared responsibility and the tactile nature of the work make it an incredible date idea. However, you can make this one a little more special by cooking exactly what you had for your first day, take the trip down the memory lane, and create the concoctions which witnessed the fascinating process of you falling in love with each other. Was it instant ramen? Was it a tongue twister of a dish in one of the fanciest restaurants of your city? Go ahead and create the best possible rendition of the dishes and enjoy it together with the liquor to match. As you do that, you can also do some updated first-date questions, just for kicks. It will give you a fun way to recapture the day that was. 

Dress Up!

We get it. It might be an alien concept, being stuck in the house and living in the same sweats for three days straight, but hear us out. It is a reason to celebrate. You will probably not have one in a long time. Also, you are probably itching to wear that new dress anyway. So go ahead and give in. Go all the way and dress up fancy for your dinner date. Put on those heels. Dress your table up real nice too while at it. Pull out those candles, and the nicer plates. Put on some music. There is something intensely romantic about making an effort for someone. And sitting face to face and actually enjoying each other’s company rather than eating as you watch TV. The message is not lost. Its a choice, and you both made it. You gave in the effort. We assure you, it will be deeply appreciated.

Host a (virtual) Houseparty

The social limitations brought in the rise of communications like Zoom calls and House parties. If you are missing your close friends and family on this day, why not host a virtual house party? Send e-vites, have them dress as per the dress code decided by you, and hang out together. Play a card game, Pictionary, or just catch up with each other. Sharing your special day with your close ones might make your quarantined heart incredibly happy. Also, this way you will be able to get in some social interacts to mimic a real house party. It can be a welcome change and just the gift you need for this anniversary!

There are so many different things you can do around the house. Camp inside, build a fort, or host a fancy movie night. The ideas are endless, each more creative than the other. This wave of illness has brought in a lot of things with it- learnings, ailings, insecurities- but it also brought with it the sweet gift of time and creativity! With a little creativity, you can work around the limitations making this potentially the most amazing anniversary ever. So what are we getting at here is simple- celebration is a state of mind. You can turn a lemony situation right around and make a lemonade stand out of it, and with brownies to go along with it! If you are determined, you can still make those special moments stand out, and they don’t have to disappear in the whirlpool. The small and big joys of life still count, and they still beg to be celebrated, and they are still special. Even more so now than ever!