Awkward COVID Greetings, Social Habits, and Pandemic Customs
Some of the most memorable pandemic changes were not official rules at all. They were the little habits people invented to keep celebrating, visiting, greeting each other, and getting through daily life while still trying to feel safe.
This page gathers the social memories that still feel the most human and the most surreal, from elbow bumps and drive-by birthdays to window visits and masks in solo car rides.
Want the full illustrated collection?
COVID Chronicles brings together 101 pandemic memories in one giftable paperback and Kindle edition, with artwork and commentary that are easier to revisit in book form.
Readers say: "One of the most delightful reads of this year" and "A great coffee table conversation starter."
Social memories worth revisiting
- People Started Greeting Each Other with Elbow Bumping or Foot Tapping
Handshakes gave way to elbow bumps, foot taps, and every other low-contact greeting people could invent.
- People Celebrated Their Birthdays with Drive-By Parties
Drive-by birthdays turned parades of cars into a replacement for real parties.
- People Visited Their Loved Ones through Closed Windows
Window visits became a painful but memorable way to stay connected to loved ones.
- People Weirdly Drive Around Alone Wearing a Face Mask (or Two!)
Masks in solo car rides became one of the pandemic’s strangest visual habits.
- Friends and Families Moved Their Get Togethers to the Outdoors
Backyards and driveways became social spaces when indoor visits felt risky.
- People Painted Rocks and Left Them On Paths for Others to Discover
Small acts of public encouragement took on a bigger meaning during isolation.
- People Let Their Mail and Packages Sit Outside and Wiped Them Down
Even the mail got drawn into the rituals of caution.
- Receptionist Areas Started Putting Out Clean and Used Pen Cups
Shared objects, even pens, suddenly needed their own etiquette and quarantine system.
Keep browsing
- Browse the Culture Category
See every culture chapter collected in one category archive.
- Browse All 101 Chapters
Browse all 101 illustrated COVID memories from the full homepage chapter grid.
