Across the United States, birthdays are a highly celebrated event. They’re a great reason to get with family or friends and celebrate the loved ones growing older, but with the COVID-19 crisis, birthdays are not celebrated the same. For Delta High School junior Allison Davis, her 17th birthday was better than expected all things considered.  

“Well I didn’t have very high expectations,” said Davis while discussing her birthday plans. With the stay-at-home order and social distancing in place, Allison Davis was not allowed to gather with friends to celebrate her birthday. Davis’s birthday was “pretty laid back.” She spent most of her birthday with her family and then went on a hike, “considering that’s one of the only things we can do right now,” Davis said. 

“It was definitely different not being allowed to actually hang out with my friends or celebrate my birthday.” Usually Davis would have enjoyed celebrating her birthday with her family, while having another party with her friends. For example, Davis’s 16th birthday party consisted of celebrating with her family during the day and then having her friends over that night for a bonfire, definitely not what happened this year.

Davis’s hike included her brother and her parents. Even though Davis wasn’t allowed to throw a big 17th birthday party, she was still glad she got to go hiking and get out of the house for once. 

“Well I would have definitely had more fun if this whole thing wasn’t going on.”