“Cancelling Christmas” what would this look like?

[CraftyGin]

Imagine that at 9pm on Christmas Eve, a government minister tweets that lock down is intensivied with immediate effect. How would that affect you personally, recognising that we all have different ideas of Christmas.

Our church activities are 11pm service (which would be unaffected), and Christmas morning service. TBH, I would be happy to skip this service but generally have to show up as a warden. All of our services from March onwards are streamed on YouTube, and this will continue indefinitely

Presents - Amazon.

Guests - my DS1 and his wife have stayed for the last two years. With a short notice announcement, they would already have been here for four or five days, so presumably they would continue to stay. My locally living DS and DIL would not be able to socialise, but we could give them a food package.

We would continue to Zoom relatives far from us, and DS would be included as he is now.

Christmas food has leftovers built in, so we would not have any waste.

[Eve]

Don’t forget the impending No deal Brexit as well as a potentially cancelled Christmas.

[CakeMiddleton]

We'd be evicted from the pantomime.
Oh yes we would.

[megletthesecond]

No parkrun, although I doubt it'll be back this year anyway.
Wouldn't be able to visit relatives over new year. But we're used to it now, we usually go at least once a month.

Not a huge difference really. There's only me and the dc's for Xmas lunch. I'm used to it being just us.

[GrumpiestOldWoman]

We haven't worked out the plan for Christmas yet but I guess cancelling Christmas would look like everyone staying in their own home on Christmas day, and waiting to find out how long it might be for to work out whether to post gifts or hang on in hope of a post-Christmas get together.

I think this year even those family who normally go to others for Christmas day will make sure there's plenty in the fridge in case they need to make their own lunch. I also suspect that children's gifts will be posted to wherever they reside so that if people can't travel the kids can still get their gifts.

[Themostwonderfultimeoftheyear]

By Christmas Eve we will already have gathered with the ILs at our self catering cottage so I assume we would just carry on. The issue would be if the announcement was made by the 22nd as that would be before we went.

[KitKatastrophe]

If they "cancel Christmas" I'll be ignoring the "guidelines" and visiting my parents anyway. As I imagine will many others.

We always have loads of food which will have been bought by christmas eve so wouldnt need to go to shops.

I usually have the vast majority of Christmas presents organised by the beginning of december so that wouldnt be an issue.

[AuntieStella]

If it was Christmas Eve, the food and presents would all be ready.

We tend to do family visits in the run up to Christmas, so no change there.

No midnight mass and no parkrun (might do a (not)parkrun instead)

Otherwise pretty much unchanged.

If they brought it is a week or so before, then a lot of what we typically do wouid be affected (no family visits, no last-minute pressie buying, no moments of madness in a delicatessen)

And of course if it's still going on over New Year then round two of family visits wouid be gone.

Teens wouid miss parties - maybe we'd all end up in the park with a bottle of sparkling, find all the neighbours there, and end up getting dispersed as an illegal rave?

New Year parkrun wouid also be off - but that was never going to be the same as they've abolished the double (permanently- not a covid decision)

[ifonly4]

We're of the mindset to keep it really simple this year, with only my Mum Xmas day. She's quite independent so knowing her she'll plan in terms of food in case she has to stay at home. If it's just us, we'll make the most of it and relax a bit more. One of my BILs will use it as an excuse not to see anyone, and we're going to see if the other families who we see would be up for hillwalking with their dogs, maybe taking some homemade soup in a flask. So for us, it won't be the end of the world, the only thing that will be a shame is that I wouldn't see my lovely elderly Auntie and Uncle. Being realistic there's no way we can see the number of people we usually see as the risk will be too high.

[netflixismysidehustle]

Hopefully divorced parents can transport kids from one parent's house to the other like during lockdown.

If this wasn't an exception my kids would be the losers as they normally see both of us on Xmas Day.

[walker1891]

I'd spend Christmas day alone if this happens. Doesn't bother me at all.

[Flaxmeadow]

Imagine that at 9pm on Christmas Eve, a government minister tweets that lock down is intensivied with immediate effect. How would that affect you personally, recognising that we all have different ideas of Christmas

Being the one who usually cooks dinner at another relatives house (larger dining table). It would mean I'd have pre cooked/prepared food to take to the relatives house and some presents for adults to take too, the childrens would already be there

I would ring my relatives about it, they would come and pick it up outside the door and leave me their side of the food/presents.

Would video call them on the day. Eat some chocolates, watch some telly, have a peaceful day. Few glasses of wine. Go for a walk maybe

I would feel relieved if I'm honest, though secretly and not admit it, because it's usually me who ends doing the whole dinner on the day.

[girlicorne]

By 11pm xmas Eve all shopping etc will be done and we have Christmas at home just the four of us anyway so it wouldn’t make any difference to us. I feel for those who have big family Christmasses though as they would be ruined.

[isittheholidaysyet]

If they cancel church that would make a difference. (Though without music that's going to be rubbish anyway)
Mad scramble to put online services together and spread the word that they are now online.
Would mean vicar DH will be at home on Christmas morning for a change!

SIL if she's coming will already be here and all the food and presents will be ready.

It's just a church cancellation which would be annoying.
We've already missed Easter, Pentecost, first holy communion and my kids confirmation set for the autumn has been cancelled too.

[ScouseQueen]

Zoom Christmas!

9pm Christmas Eve announcement would make no difference to me. We spend Christmas Day in our own household and have visitors other days, so we'd just have to Zoom them instead.

It's just one Christmas. If it happens we'll have to cope and look forward to 2021.

[girlicorne]

Sorry you said 9pm! My answer still stands though!

[strawberrypip]

nothing would change for me. would be going to spend it with my family like every year. would presumably already have my presents by 9pm christmas eve.

[Pipandmum]

Hardly at all. Either I would already be staying abroad or at home with my immediate family. I'd get gifts as I do now. Food delivered as i do now. Even with increased restriction think they'll leave the bubbles intact so people could still have family over.

[cyclingmad]

zero impact, dont celebrate it and be quite relieved I can just stay in and watch movies all day, oh and do my annual Xmas day bike ride if weather is good 👍

[Dahlietta]

If it's an 'intensified' lockdown, then presumably we were under 'no more than two households' anyway. So the only real issue is if you're the household who was visiting the other and you don't have any food for Christmas dinner.
Personally, we would miss going to church (though DC probably wouldn't...) and obviously if you don't have any presents bought by 9pm on Christmas eve you're stuffed anyway.

[ForeverBubblegum]

By Christmas eve I imagine we will already have sorted out gifts, so Christmas morning won't be that different for DC. Extended family would have to wait for their gifts as we wouldn't have known to post, but half the family don't see us for a few days anyway (some years with my family, some with DH's) so no big deal.

Food would be interesting, anyone who was planning on hosting will be massively over catered, whilst anyone been catered for wouldn't have food in. Haven't made arrangements yet, but if we're not hosting we tend to take wine and desert. I guess we'd have that plus whatever's in the freezer, could probably manage chicken and frozen veg and enough cake to sink a ship. Not ideal but we would at least be able to drink away our sorrows. DM would be stuck with 10 people's meat and veg, but no treats or drinks.

[Zoomintheroom]

It wouldn't much for us as my parents would have just left to go home after spending Christmas Eve afternoon/early evening with us. We always have Christmas Day at home with just us and the children.

The only thing it would affect would be our pantomime tickets for the 27th. We would have plenty of food in stock and I always have my shopping delivery booked four weeks in advance so we would be ok until the end of January.

[Codexdivinchi]

@CakeMiddleton

We'd be evicted from the pantomime.
Oh yes we would.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[Zoomintheroom]

*wouldn't make much of a difference

[labyrinthloafer]

For me personally it would make absolutely no difference as we have now got Christmas just how we like it, no visits or visitors!

But totally understand this is not the case for many, so hopefully it won't happen.

[ChardonnaysPetDragon]

The guidelines are for gatherings of only two families, so unless that's relaxed by Christmas then there shouldn't be too many leftovers anyway.