From face masks to video chats, families reimagine Mother's Day during COVID-19

Instead of flowers,Selena Madrigan gifted her moma box of face masks and some Lysol disinfectant.

The Abbotsford resident and her husband orderedtakeout to share with her parents outside their condo. Their orders were packed separately, she said, and the two couples sat on opposite ends of her parents' patio, about threemetres apart.

"There won't be any hugging or touching or visiting indoors," she said Saturday.

Families this year were forced to reimagine Mother's Day, a tradition marked by closeness and affection, amid COVID-19 restrictions.

On Saturday, B.C's provincial healthofficer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, encouraged families to celebrate Mother's Day outdoors and to stay two metres apart if they weren't part of the same household.

"Honour our mothers by keeping them safe," she said, asking families to avoid close contact with mothers who are older, awaiting surgery and have underlying illnesses.

Some followed that advice Sunday, lounging at Vancouver's parks and beaches while basking in the summer-like weather.

CBC News also asked readers online to share how they marked the special day.

Susan Chung's two boys hadn't seen their grandmother in weeks. They surprised her Sunday by performing the violin and viola outside her Vancouver home.

"Grandma was so delighted," Chung wrote. "It is so hard to stay apart. This pandemic can't be over soon enough."

Some families debated whether to meet in-person or connect virtually. Susanne Dadsonsaid her family was split two people decided to visit her 97-year-old mother-in-law from outside her seniors' home, while she opted to call.

"We are all seniors as well and wanting to stay safe," she said.

Others maintained simple traditions. Tanya Paterson said her mother prefers to be left alone on Mother's Day, but appreciates a phone call.

"It never varies from year to year."

To celebrate her mother, Anasuya Kesavan made for lunch some malai kofta, anIndian vegetarian dish,and chapatis, a type of flat bread.

"Mothers," she wrote, "remind you of the warm smells of the kitchen."