First it was rainbows in windows. Then people started pretending to be ants.
Now it’s wine fairies.
The latest quarantine trend has the potential to be the biggest yet. After all, if there’s one thing parents can use after being trapped inside with their kids 24/7, it’s a drink.
Like the others, this trend gained popularity via Facebook. The Staten Island Wine Fairies Facebook group started around mid-May and has since attracted nearly 5,000 followers (and counting), less than two weeks after its inception.
The concept is simple. Members “sign up” by privately sharing their address with a page admin or moderator, a.k.a. their “Fairy Wine Mother,” depending on their zip code. Then at some point they receive a free wine package to their door. Members can also sign up to be a “fairy” and deliver a package to another member.
You don’t have to give to receive, according to Staten Island Wine Fairies creator Toni Freda. “This page is more about giving and so many people have played a fairy more than once. It is addictive, ” she said. “The first round of deliveries were just bottles of wine, now the baskets are getting bigger and bigger and even themed. I gifted a Wu Tang Clan themed basket yesterday!”
Freda was compelled to start the page after the tragic passing of her father to Covid-19 on Easter Sunday, just one day after his 80th birthday. Unable to mourn with her family or friends due to social distancing guidelines and her profession as an essential hospital worker, she was overwhelmed with grief.
“I started the page in hopes it would be a cheerful distraction from all the sadness,” she said. “After my dad passed, friends and family showered me with sympathy baskets to my home. Each day, when I opened the mail I felt so connected and happy. I wanted others to experience that feeling, so I decided to a start the page. I never expected it to grow so quickly.”
“The joy and happiness I see in all the pictures and posts is making me so proud of this community,” she continued. “Everyone is having such a great time spreading Liquid Sunshine! I have fairy’d eight people so far myself and I am so happy to be a Fairy Wine Mother!”
A quick scroll through the page reveals just how much fun Staten Islanders are having “sprinkling liquid happiness.” Each delivery seems more elaborate than the next, with different themes, flavors and goodies. Members are encouraged to dress up as fairies when making deliveries if they want.
A few members have even received kid-friendly baskets for their little ones along with their own deliveries. Another member recently suggested pregnant or sober moms be “wined” with baskets full of non-alcoholic treats, like tea, coffee etc.
Wanna join the fun? Head over the Staten Island Wine Fairies Facebook page and be sure to read the announcement at the top of the page with information and disclaimers.
Cheers!
Jeannine Cintron is a Staten Island mom of two and the editor for Staten Island Parent. When she’s not writing or managing the S.I. Parent Facebook page, you can find her binging an inexcusable amount of television for anyone with two children.
