Are you jingling your bells on the doorstep at 6pm?

[Retiremental]

Or are you going to be grinching it ?

Hmm, I started a thread on this last week after seeing a FB post, I got absolutely roasted!

@SmileyClare

I find it a bit toe curling actually that so many people are desperate to think of the new DOORSTEP THING that will go viral on Facebook. It's a bit Look at me, I care more and I'm doing it publicly and more loudly than you. Thanks for all your lovely comments, I just care so much I had to do this

It got silly after Clap for the NHS. We had Lets dance on our doorsteps (Reach for the Stars was the suggested track ) a minute silence on our doorsteps, play instruments on our doorsteps, now bells. Most of them fail to gain popularity.

I agree.

There's always some fool wanting their 15 minutes of fame... 🤨

Didn't hear anything here but that was because I was tucked up inside! 😆

I had no intention of joining in as it’s smack bang in the middle of our bath/ bed routine and I’m pretty cynical BUT our 3 year old was in his room putting his pyjamas on and we heard bells ringing and the look on his face as he ran to his window to see if it was Father Christmas coming was absolutely priceless.

@spagbog5

We have covid so giving it a miss as I don't think our neighbours would be too thrilled

You could always shout, "Unclean! Unclean!"

That actually sounds lovely and neighbourly. We shouldn't really need a gimmick to bring people together like that but hey ho

No it's true we shouldn't but between the clap, VE day and this I definitely know more of my neighbours this year and feel more part of a community than I ever have before. When my baby was born in the first lockdown we had so many gifts and meals made for us as all sorts. 3 different older ladies take it in turns to knit for her still, which I find so lovely as my mum and gran are both gone so I thought there would be noone to knit for her. I have to admit that, apart from the next door neighbour I mentioned earlier who I always chatted to and checked in on, I never bothered much beyond a polite nod and smile. My comfort zone is probably still the nod and smile but I do think the new friendliness is one good thing to have come out of a shitty situation.

Possibly everyone else on the street was busy being friendly and neighbourly all along and thinking I was a right misery guts, but it's taken these gimmicks for me to get involved. We're really lucky to live on a nice street (though not a particularly 'naice' one) where everyone does it in a fairly low key, respectful way and doesn't see it as an excuse to blast out karaoke or ignore.social distancing or whatever, and I never get the sense it's all going on social media (they're mostly older people anyway though that's not to say they're not all instagramming like a Kardashian once.they get back inside I suppose )

@Aardvarkitsabloodyaardvark

Is this for the NHS again? I have a lot of friends working in the NHS who are sick of this feel good crap (quote by the way). Maybe lots get something out of it but I have friends who can't cope with much more. And another quote "please follow the guidelines to stop the pressure on the NHS".

Nothing to do with the NHS. And everything to do with a bit of joy for small kids.

@shitinmyhandsandclap

Hmm, I started a thread on this last week after seeing a FB post, I got absolutely roasted!

It’s MN. They can even turn candy floss sour on here

No as I have no idea what you are on about.

Having said that I’d changed my mind and decided to do it, actually we didn’t bother in the end and I couldn’t hear a thing from outside so I guess it wasn’t really a “thing” here.

Its everything to do with a bit of joy for small kids

There is a nice side to this; the poster describing her 3 year-olds face when he was putting his pyjamas on and heard bells, others saying it was a reason to go out and feel connected to her neighbours.

The more sour side for me is the online virtue signalling, the shaming of people not wanting to do it (grinches, miserable sods not wanting to do something nice ) and also the poor grandmother on here who downloaded a "bell" app and stood outside with her grandson only to find no one else in the district knew about it!

There's also a sort of chain letter feel about it; it starts on fb and you have to be tagged, you have to share it or you're a grinch and most people without Facebook are completely oblivious.

I happened to come back from garage at 6pm and there was one set of neighbours ringing a bell on the pavement. Each to their own, but it came across as a bit sad

Sorry to resurrect this, but in our small lane we jingled bells and the two small children sang Jingle bells to elderly neighbours (including a BSL version ), and you know what, it was lovely, low key and even this Grinch enjoyed it. No doorstep instagramming, no clattering of pan lids, just two small children, some kind neighbours and a little bit of Christmas spirit in this pigging year.