But even after the final COVID restrictions are removed, there may be some lasting effects of the pandemic on how we choose to celebrate. “I think how often and how people entertain will depend entirely on how their area was affected by COVID,” says Tamara Reynolds, author of How to Throw a Dinner Party Without Having a Nervous Breakdown. “People who didn’t feel affected will return sooner—people who were very affected are having a harder time coming back.” You’ll see new entertaining styles gaining prominence, a few old traditions disappearing—and a lot more people excited to have you over to their house (or at least, their patio). But one thing remains sure: We’re all ready to celebrate. “People are craving parties—large and small—to celebrate the life they are returning to and have missed so dearly,” Reynolds says. And blowing out the candles for birthdays may be officially off the table. “Blowing out birthday candles, though quaint, is so gross,” Reynolds says. “I think that now that we know how far aerosolized saliva travels, we won’t be doing that outside of children’s birthday parties, and perhaps not even there.” That means that if you’re planning a bigger party for a milestone birthday, anniversary, or wedding in the next couple of years, it’s better to be on the early side with planning your party. “You’ll have people who moved their events into 2022 and 2023 competing with the people who normally would have celebrated then,” Rago says. “There will be a lot of competition for venues and vendors.”
