The 23rd is too early to start the Christmas bubble

[PinkPlantCase]

I like I’m sure many other people are expected to work a half day on Christmas Eve. The Christmas shut down then runs through the full gap from Christmas to new year (very lucky I know that the office actually closes).

I don’t see why they could have shifted the 5 days to start on Christmas Eve! Can anyone shed light on this logic?

The extra day after Christmas to stay with family we haven’t seen for a long time that we have to travel a long way to reach would have made a difference.

[GooseWhiskers]

I was wondering this exact same thing just now!

My only guess is the government like to do things almost right but fuck it up entirely at the same time.

[ThisIsM]

Ah no! How frustrating they haven't fitted in with your plans 😂

[Doryhunky]

People need time to get home for xmas eve and public transport starts running down on xmas eve.

[Mycircusmymonkey]

I don’t know many people that work Xmas eve to be fair. Never going to please everyone

[GlummyMcGlummerson]

Surely it's so people who need to travel, can, without fear of breaking the rules

[PinkPlantCase]

@ThisIsM other people are thinking it 😂

[Sasuma]

Possibly also because if it started on the 24th it would be gridlock on the roads, this way some people will be moving around to wherever they want to be on the 23rd and the 24th.

[PinkPlantCase]

Even growing up my parents would work part of Christmas Eve, always seemed the norm where I am.

Public transport makes sense. Guess they’re trying to spread people out on the trains etc. Bet internal flight bookings have gone crazy.

[Burnthurst187]

The government will never be able to please everybody

[hobbyiscodefordogging]

No, 24th is too late to start it. Lots of people celebrate on Christmas Eve, and generally you'd want to be where you need to be by Christmas Eve rather than travelling on that day. You don't have to use all of the 5 days if it doesn't suit your plans.

[RedskyAtnight]

The government doesn't actually want anyone to mix at Christmas. So there's no particular advantage to attempting to work out what range of dates would suit the maximum of people.

[tigger001]

Maybe they are allowing time for people who will insist on travelling out of the cities to their home towns.

Or maybe this government actually doesn't really give a shit about "its people" and just do as they please that suit them and probably Boris Johnson or Matt Hancock has a family gathering on the 23rd and would hate to miss it and will prefer to do it within the restriction, if possible.

[Cherrysoup]

I totally agree. I would need to travel 5 hours to see family but there’s no way my DH can come, he’s working but will be home early evening Christmas week. No way am I leaving him alone on Christmas Day to visit elderly mother, who will be spending the day with a minimum of 11 close family members (because she’s ignored lockdown rules so far, why change now!)

[the80sweregreat]

It seems fair to me , but I guess it won't suit everyone.

[PinkPlantCase]

@RedskyAtnight interesting point. So essentially they’ve already cut a day off for when people could potentially be mixing.

[Brighterthansunflowers]

YABVU how rude of the governments of four nations not to have consulted you about what works best for your particular situation

Public transport is always dire from about 5pm onwards on Christmas Eve as it starts winding down for two days of no services. The roads will be horrendous as well if half the country is trying to travel on that one day.

Surely having Christmas Day right in the middle means everyone gets a bit of what they want, rather than shunting it to the beginning or end of the 5 day window.

[Lightsontbut]

It's naïve to think that such a short period of allowing people to mix allows 'everyone' to benefit. Not everyone gets time off over Xmas. I can't understand why the risk is higher if I saw my family from 28-30 when I'm actually off work.

[thecatsthecats]

@Sasuma

Possibly also because if it started on the 24th it would be gridlock on the roads, this way some people will be moving around to wherever they want to be on the 23rd and the 24th.

Yes. Some people will chance it on the 22nd, others will travel on the 23rd, others on Christmas Eve. Same for the journey back.

Our family have big Christmas Eve traditions, and I always prefer to spend the whole day in one place. I think there's an even spread of traditions people observe 24-26th, plus a day either side for travel.

[Theredjellybean]

I agree.. I am working over Christmas.. And want to have my dc (adults) home to celebrate over New year.

[PinkPlantCase]

@Brighterthansunflowers it sounds like public transport is dire at 5pm on Christmas Eve because that’s when working people have finished work and so can travel...

[InTheLongGrass]

The bubble window also ignores the bank holiday on the Monday - so everyone should be home on the Sunday, but the Monday is a bank holiday in lieu of Sat 26th.

The days dont suit me either! I'd like an uneven split. Looks like I might get one night with my parents. But I'll take in preference to not seeing them til the Spring.

[Storyofcats]

To try and spread the traffic out over two days I guess. It's never going to suit everyone.

[PinkPlantCase]

I have just seen that I’m tiers 1&2 overnight stays in hotels and I assume by extension holiday let’s are allowed. So perhaps mingling indoors up to the 27th and then only seeing extended family outdoors after then would work for some people who are travelling quite far.

[the80sweregreat]

Time for the second home owners to get out of town !

[Everydayzero]

It’s funny I’d say it was not long enough, going back to stay at my folks I’d want to go back the weekend before Christmas as I then won’t be mixing with anyone else.