Both the U.S. and the rest of the world are still struggling with the Covid-19 pandemic not to mention that people in the U.S. have some extra civic unrest problems of their own. In times like these, tensions, anxiety, and depression naturally go up.
Fortunately, the “Wine Fairies” have the answer. While alcohol is rarely a good idea in times of stress, when it’s supplied in such a funny and awesome manner, one can allow themselves a glass.
But what are the Wine Fairies? Exactly what they sound like – groups of women, mostly in suburban areas, that have organized themselves to dress in tutus, fairy wings, and wands, and run from door to door, leaving baskets of wine and treats. Once the package gets delivered, the fairy rings the bell and runs for cover!
The whole thing seems to have started with the Sisterhood of the Travelling Wine Facebook group. After they became popular, hundreds of other Facebook groups gained traction and started organizing different “Wine Fairy branches”. So far, as many as 78,000 “Wine fairies” are running across the country every day, delivering wine and treats to people’s homes.
The deliveries aren’t accidental, however. Just like you first have to leave your tooth under your pillow for the Tooth Fairy to find it, you also need to leave your address to your local “Wine fairy coven” if you want to be gifted with a basket at a random time in the coming days.
And, of course, everything is done carefully and in adherence to the social distancing guidelines of the CDC.
Cara Rindell is one of the Wine Fairies and the one to bring the movement to Raleigh, North Carolina. She shares that “It’s all about bringing others happiness and making new relationships. It starts off as a random act of kindness to a stranger and becomes a friendship with the neighbor you didn’t know you had.”
So far, Rindell’s North Carolina chapter has over 51,000 members and several thousand more on the waiting list.
“It was supposed to be just the Raleigh area, but now we are in ten states, hoping to eventually launch into all 50 states,” said Rindell. “It is called the Sisterhood of the Traveling Wine, but the group is co-ed and it isn’t just about wine. We want to eventually include children all the way up to grandparents.”
Rindell is also trying to expand the movement by initiating the Brotherhood of Booze and Beer as well as a nonalcoholic version for children. She hopes that all three versions will be able to expand to greater social gatherings once the Covid-19 pandemic is under control.
“Cruise lines are reaching out to me, about even having a cruise for the sisterhood,” said Rindell. “This group started during COVID, but it’s not going to stop after COVID. I think we always need to be spreading kindness and cheer.”
Of course, once we stop giggling over how fun these initiatives are, one of the first questions to pop up is “Wait, alcohol is a bad idea during times of stress!” And that’s true, the science and statistics about it are undeniable.
However, people aren’t just buying booze by the gallon themselves – they are just being gifted a bottle from time to time by the benevolent Wine Fairies. So, unless you’re going out of your way to buy several additional bottles after each “fairy delivery”, things should be fine.
Everything in moderation, as the saying goes.