To be sad that so many rituals of the year will be list in 2020

[Carbosug]

Not a major issue in the bigger scheme, but there's always something comforting about the small rituals that mark the progress of the year. This summer there'll be no school sports days, prize-givings, Wimbledon on the telly, loads of people departing for beach holidays in August and then that feeling of life reverting to its normal pace in Autumn.

AIBU to miss all these things?

Not at all. I'm extremely sad that simple things such as family barbecues can't happen or shopping trips with my friends or weekends away with my husband can't happen. In the grand scheme of things these are minute issues and not a big deal at all compared to the horror that this virus is causing other people, but that doesn't mean people can't still be sad about the smaller things that are lost too.

I’m glad of the break from these sorts of things to be honest. Bank holiday traffic, pointless family events, and definitely sports days (!!) It’s only one year ever but a welcome break for some of us

I find it a little sad for my children. My 5yo said a few days ago, ‘I’m so excited to wear a school summer dress and white socks!’ Little things like this are big things little children. If I was supermum and baking/gardening/den building with her all day then I wouldn’t feel so bad

YANBU to feel sad over the massive changes happening this year.

I’m massively missing my parents. We usually see each other 4/5 times a week; they’re my best friends. Other than seeing one of them once a week via a distance when they pick up their milk we haven’t seen them properly in a month almost now

I feel a pang of sadness that there is likely to be no school dress shopping.

So many things have happened for 100s of years, unstopped by war etc. I think many events may disappear for ever, like the smaller argicultural shows that have been struggling, or the town fairs.

It is sad.
Dd is 17 soon, her sister started driving lessons on her birthday, she can't. We just cancelled a big village event that had only been cancelled a handful of times in over 100 years. Easter was not the same. Our holiday is cancelled and we'd been planning this trip for years.
We can be sad about the small stuff too.

YANBU my son is year 6 & we will miss all the year 6 rituals his sisters had. Also the things we do in the summer OH & I have birthdays within 2 days of each other & since having the kids we always have fish & chips on the beach watching the sun set over the light house.

I appreciate what the nation is doing - and that is by far the main thing

But yes, I was wistful when they called off the Grand National and the Boat Race (signs that Easter is imminent and summer is only just round the corner).

I’m wondering if the postponed London Marathon can go ahead, or if the rhythm of the year will be lost right through the summer

DD is glad not to have GCSE exam stress, but is feeling cheated that the year when it was her turn to be getting her massive post-exam summer holiday (made all the sweeter by others still at school), everyone will be having the long break. But she can’t do anything special with hers

Yep absolutely. My children’s birthdays are coming up, I’m sad they can’t have proper parties.

My eldest’s first year in primary has been seriously disrupted.

It’s all sad in its own way.

No Vaisakhi celebration this year, I missed that.

I feel sad for my DS who wanted to do his GCSE's and saw finishing his last exam and walking out of the school gates officially for the last time with his friends as a rite of passage.

No leavers assembly, prom is cancelled, and even though we're sure he'll do well and get good results it feels like an anti-climax. He said he feels like whatever grades he gets they won't be 'real' results.

No Tour de France!!

My daughter is year 6 and I’m sad that she’s missed out on all the leavers stuff, parties, plays, town concert. Also felt a bit of a pang at I’ll never buy a gingham school dress again. She’s my last child at primary so after spending the best part of 15 years going there everyday I won’t go back. I acknowledge these are very minor issues but a bit sad nevertheless.

I think it’s ok to miss the smaller stuff.

I’m sad that I’m not going to share my DD16’s long summer before going off to college. I have a DC with learning difficulties and we were doing to spend some lovely time together while her younger sibling was in school. I’m sad for her that she doesn’t get the normal celebrations finishing Yr11. I just hope their given GCSE grades have some pizazz to their presentation.

There’s other stuff too but I think that bothers me the most.

It's definitely sad. So many little events in our town that we look forward to each year. Even things like missing the blooming of the cherry blossom trees in our local park.
It's upsetting.

So many little things that make me sad.

I loathe all of those meaningless markers of time, won't miss them in the slightest.

It’s ok to feel however you want or need to feel, you never need to justify that.

Of course, it’s sad. Next year will hopefully be much kinder to many.
We’ve got deferred wedding, no graduation, daughter unable to do her year working abroad, no Easter gathering, no time away planned, no village events. Life is dull.
On the plus side, we and the children have secure jobs, we live in a beautiful rural spot that gives us greater freedoms, we have food, we all remain well now. Life could be much, much worse.

Agree... it's the small things which make this hard, I think. For me, it was the only year that both my DC would share a sports day.. it's such a minuscule thing but its upset me more than my cancelled holiday (which I was due to fly off on today.. actually, scrap that - that is shit too!)

Blondiney that's a bit extreme.

I miss so much already. DS not being able to do A levels, all those end of school rituals he was so looking forward to.

Easter with extended family.

The first bluebells, I go to lovely woods that I won't be able to now. I run on trails and can't express how much I'm missing it.

Wimbledon, boat race, Grand Prix, oh god the Olympics - I'd been looking forward to them since Rio! So many wonderful sporting events, yes the TdF (has that officially been cancelled yet?).

I feel so anxious about the world and the effects it is having but the little things are sad too.

I find rituals very meaningful myself.

I agree OP. I work in a school, and feel sad that some children will miss the summer events that they have been looking forward to. No sports day, residentials, end of year shows or summer fete.

I also miss spontaneously doing things. The weather is lovely today and I want to do something or go somewhere, but I can't

SanFranBear

I totally get what you mean about sports day 😪. They mean nothing to anyone else but it's those little things that make life so treasured.

I'll massively miss Wimbledon. I love watching it on telly. And this year my friend got tickets and we were going to go on the last Thursday .

Also the Meltdown festival at the Royal Festival Hall. Grace Jones was to curate it.