It is not easy to celebrate Raksha Bandhan amid a pandemic. With lockdowns and social distancing restrictions in place, many have been forced to seek out virtual means of communication in order to keep in touch with their near and dear ones.
While the pandemic has indeed brought families closer as people spend an increasing amount of hours at home, not everyone has had the same opportunity. With Raksha Bandhan -- a festival to celebrate the impact and importance of your siblings -- around the corner, we've put together a list of virtual ways in which you can keep the festival going.
1. Virtual Rakhis and wishes
Don't let a pandemic keep you from expressing your love for your sibling. Share a video message or even a warm greeting with via WhatsApp. Opt for e-cards and send them photos or gifs of rakhis. And if that doesn't seem to be quite enough, set up a video call.
2. Get all your siblings together
While distance may have in the past stopped you from celebrating Raksha Bandhan with all your siblings in one place, the post-COVID-19 virtual world knows no such limitation. Even if they are in different parts of the world, organise a video call (such as with Zoom or Google Meet) and play games and interact with all your siblings and cousins at once.
3. Gifts, but remotely
In case you still want to get a Rakhi or Raksha Bandhan gift for your sibling, go the online shopping route. Be it gift cards, or an Amazon order or even personalised hampers from specific stores - the internet has a ton of options. You can even buy a rakhi online and get it delivered.
4. Try something new in terms of gifts
While traditionally Raksha Bandhan has meant gifts of money, clothes, chocolates and more, what about ordering something a little different? Unable to savour a traditional or favourite dish together this year? Or perhaps conventional gifts aren't your cup of tea in the first place. Try ordering your sibling's favourite dishes from sites such as Swiggy and Zomato (they have several safely measures in place against the pandemic), or even get some flowers delivered to their residence.
5. Make an (online) effort together
This heading's a tad ambiguous, and that's because it's completely up to you how exactly you can make the event more special. Perhaps, if you and your siblings are active on social media, you can share photos and reminisce over shared memories.
You can take the effort to dress up and spend time with each other, even if you cannot leave your houses. You can have a Netflix party and watch a movie together, watch a concert or even virtually tour a museum. The choice is completely yours.
