Heo Min-Seon

We live in unusual times, and it's a particularly strange time teenager.

The Corona-Virus pandemic has not only led to classes and holidays are deleted - it was well made, it is More difficult to select the moments You come of age, whether You are in a religious Ceremony , a Birthday or Graduation .

We spoke with four People , Gideon , 13, Lindsay, 14, and Ariana , 15, and Liam , 22 -, once-in-a-lifetime events upended by the coronavirus. She told us What Happened and how they found creative ways to celebrate.

Ariana Diaz, 15, who lives in Florida. Her family had planned to celebrate their 15th anniversary with a Quinceanera - a coming-of-age tradition, which has its origins in Latin America . Quinceañeras Can include religious ceremonies and a reception and party, and so Can a lot of time and effort to plan A Wedding .

In the Hispanic culture, 15 is when You will attack, and People want to celebrate, in A Woman . We invited a lot of People , the More Than 400 - To My Quinceanera.

Everyone in My Family has celebrated its 15 with a Quinceanera, and I always wanted One . I used dancing to have peeking from behind The Corner , as my Older Sister is dancing for Hers practiced - I loved, since I was little.

Often, a Quinceanera Can cost as much as a car, my parents asked if I wanted a car for my 15 But I, I wanted to have a Quinceanera, where everyone could come and celebrate.

" My Friends and I started rehearsals for the traditional opening dance in February. There are 14 of us, seven boys and seven Girls were - and we had choreographed a Broadway-style performance, based on a Fairy Tale . Every Sunday , after Church , we would go to The Park and start with the exercise, so I had my hands full.

The Quinceanera was to happen right after my Birthday in may, and I was also to celebrate mother's day - I wanted a mother-daughter dance, and My Mom and grandma a Nice gift.

I'd brought my clothes, and even a few tiaras - my mother said we had One on the cake, One for the Church , and with my second dress.

I'm not going to lie, when I got my Quinceanera couldn't go any further, I was a little angry at First , But I thought That , if it is so, Because of the coronavirus, Then it is better to wait until it is safe.

I would rather my niece's quinceañera later, as it is now, and no One would have come, or People who are sick. Some of my relatives who are older or not a good immune system - I would not want You to be sick.

now We have moved it to September. I really hope it is only Postponed -until Then - But when It Comes to the worst, and we Can 't keep It Then , I'm going to have to, instead of make it an event for my 16th Birthday . I could be crazy at The Moment , But I will always still think it is better so - it is better That People get sick, or pass away from this.

I miss The School so much. Online classes are More difficult, Because You Can 't always get the teacher - and-Zoom Can hold strange Because sometimes People are staring at each other. Many of My Friends in school, moving, or changing schools, and I think That "I am not even able to say good-bye, y'all!". I still have the text of it.

The weekend after my Birthday - The Day my niece's quinceañera originally planned - My Mom has surprised me. She told me, I wanted to shoot a photo, so I got dressed and My Sister did my hair and make-up. Then , mom suddenly said she had to go Because she was needed at work.

The Photographer told me to go outside - my mother had a whole bunch of balloons for The Photos , and put decorations all over the gate That said: "Happy 15".

Then I Heard honking, a whole series of cars - and my mother saw The Car at The Front ! I started to cry. Many of My Friends , all of The Family , And One of my Teachers was a drive-by Birthday parade.

All of them had decorated their cars with balloons or streamers and threw confetti or pulled POPs from the inner of your car.

After That , my mother organized a Zoom meeting for People who like to cut the cake With Us . She brought two Cakes there were chocolate and fruit, and The Other was zucchini, peach, and strawberry.

My mother had it all organised, Because she felt really bad, my niece's quinceañera was moved - I was like, "mom, it's your Fault - You Can 't stop with the coronavirus".

this evening, we have a lot of the dances, I originally had a sister dance, a mother - daughter dance scheduled for the Quinceanera, a brother-and-sister-dance, and a father-daughter dance. I cried for all the dances, and so was my mother. I was very touched, and thank I have my mother a lot.

Liam Ryan , 22, lives in Pennsylvania. He's just finished his theatre degree at Drew University and found an unusual Way to celebrate.

My rough plan after Graduation was to move to start to Chicago , it as an artist there. My plans have been put on a standstill with the pandemic - for now I'm just At Home , trying to save up money.

In March, we had learned That in-person classes were canceled for the rest of the semester, and we would have to get out of the Campus . Graduation ceremonies have also been moved.

It was certainly a shock. A Graduation is really the final of their entire college experience, and the last month of college is a huge, important part of your life. Not to miss, and it was really demoralizing. It is still very bizarre now officially his statements, and in the "real world" without those last moments.

In the last few weeks On Campus , we were just kind of in The Throes of existential Angst. Then One of My Friends the idea of a mock-Graduation had - it began as a kind of joke, But Then we have More and More to The Point , where we cut out cardboard DIY-Graduation and wore trash bags as gowns.

had to Campus left Two Days before us, we set up our outfits, and made little fake paper diplomas, and walked on the main street of the Campus - the same Way the graduating class usually takes - when blasting Pomp and Circumstance [a song often used in Graduation parties] into a megaphone.

It was Cool - a lot of People started cheering for us. We gave speeches, and a procession on the Veranda of the Main Building , And One of Our Friends had us make our fake diplomas.

I have an actual degree would be preferred - But I am so glad That we had Our Own little Ceremony - Because it was the kind of art, in its own Way . It was reveling in the craziness of The Moment , and it felt like a fitting end for the year.

The mock-statements, while totally ridiculous and stupid, it was a really beautiful moment, all of us together and work on a project together, One last time.

I was One of those who gave a little speech, and I choked a little, Because it was really an emotional moment, also in view of the fact That we were wearing garbage bags.

Lindsay Rebodos, 14, in Illinois. Your Christian confirmation of power Ceremony , where a person has a statement of faith, and confirms the promises in your name, when You were baptized - will be delayed by about a month, and at the end of the Parking lot is happening in your Church .

I started the preparation for my confirmation Ceremony when I was 11. I went to classes every Wednesday for three years and liked it, Because I realized That it meant I was with a group of People That I could be safe and comfortable, and talk about My Life .

In The School Because of the pandemic, we had to cancel field trips, track-Season and the eighth-grade Graduation .

It was very tough, obviously, not the same ending Middle School as my siblings did. Our teacher made a YouTube video for us instead.

I am very happy, my Church made the effort to us, Because the conditions now. It happened a month later than planned, in June, in the Parking lot of my Church .

It was the First Time That many of my Church group. I would have missed the opportunity to see them In Person - it is not the same on The Phone .

Source of news: bbc.com