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?

There is one I won't miss.

One set of our friends spend most of the year going on holiday to various far flung places. Their Christmas round robin letter is full of where they have been.

This year their letter will either be very short or it will be full of interesting newsy stuff rather than bragging about their holidays

Yes, I feel sad about the small things too. Especially when past years pop up on my FB memories

Missing walking in the woods and seeing the carpet of bluebells, the first paddle in the sea of the year

My daughter rides horses and she’d been working hard all winter to get her pony fit for the various events this summer which aren’t happening, the cancelled pony club camp, dossing at the yard with your mates on a sunny afternoon, just sitting reading a book in the field with her pony, the hacks where you get lost and end up out far longer than you expected

The big local events throughout the year, the music festival, the big sailing week, the county show, the huge sponsored walk that thousands of us take part in to raise money for the local hospice. All those markers of the year that weave into our lives. Plus the financial impact to our very tourism reliant economy

My other daughter should taking her A levels this year, her summer plans are cancelled - no camping trip with her mates before they all go off to their different unis, prom, Glastonbury. The end of 14 years of schooling. She thinks that her achievements will always have that “oh, you took your A levels in 2020 ” taint to them

Winter seemed to go on forever this year and it feels like we’ll lose spring and summer and be back in winter again

This is all small stuff in the grand scheme of things and there is far more important stuff to worry about, but I do feel blue

We hardly even noticed Easter this year. It’s May bank holiday in a few weeks too, so I suppose that will be another one that just goes by without comment. I have a wall calendar in the kitchen, I’ve just written CANCELLED across it.

Springersrock I would have thought you could do some of the things unless you have to completely isolate Do you not live within walking distance of the woods?

I agree OP, and like others I will miss the bluebells. We do live within walking distance of some scrubby woods but they only have some bluebells not the massed ranks we usually drive to the bluebell woods to see.
Other markers I will miss:
May Day (we usually go to a fair with morris dancers and maypole)
Eurovision
My May birthday - usually have a picnic
Wimbledon
Our very local outdoor pool opening for the summer - it has said it will not open at all this year and I usually go four or five times a week
Sports Day
The children's grass track cycling starting
DS was going to play cricket for the first time this summer as it is his first year at secondary school, it's not me missing out but I feel sorry for him

I'm a SAHM so the rythmn of my life is around the DC's school life, activities and volunteering. All my structure is gone and it is just an abyss of time. Thank goodness I can still get out running and can get to the countryside and feel the natural seasons developing.

A month ago seems like a world away, especially with the change of weather that fell with the timing. I'm so glad the weather has brightened up as the second half of last summer slipped quietly into a dull sodden autumn then winter and my winter blues were established early by October.

I found it hardest the week that life was shutting down. One great sucession of cancellations and the skies were still so leaden.

I hope that a freshness of appreciation will be restored for the little things that are the glue that link us generation to generation.

I suspect that grieving will be harder in the next 12 months to as so many "firsts" will be delayed until next year.

Ginfordinner I don’t live in walking distance of the bluebells woods unfortunately.

I do live within walking distance of a beach but stopping for a paddle would earn you your very own shaming photo on Facebook from the local Rules Police

It’s just all those little rituals that we have that mark the turning of the year and the coming and going of the seasons that are missing this year. I just feel a bit blue about it all

Course it’s ok to feel sad. I hate all this competitive and not allowing others to complain behavior at the minute. Apologies about the syntax of that sentence but you know what I mean!! I can’t think of how else to phrase it.

Remember however they will come again and for a while we will appreciate them far far more than ever. :)

YANBU. For us, a lot of the sadness is how up in the air so much is for us. My son was looking forward to getting his results (if not so much the exams), and going around with his friends to some of the local places that do things like free treats or discount indoor rock climbing or similar if you bring in your results. Now we've no idea when or even if he's getting results (he's took his GCSE classes at a local college in a pre-16 programme to test this May-June in a mixed age class, but his birthday would put him in Y10).

My daughter is looking forward to joining her sister at the secondary this September, and she still has the letter of all the transition events on the fridge, but we've no idea which if any of those are going to ahead. My older daughter is sad her school choir isn't going to be performing their summer showcase.

Maybe small in the big scheme of things, but for my oldest it was a marker of his achievement and for all of them a celebration they'd been looking for a while now.

And yes, spring walks in the woods and star watching as many of the areas for that near me have been all locked up even for those of us in walking distance. Can't blame them after some of the incidents we've had locally, but I was very much looking forward to that a couple of months ago.

So how long does people think lock down will last all year??

I think it will last officially throughout May. My bosses are saying they don’t reckon we’ll be back in the office until June.

Even when the restrictions are lifted it will be done in stages and I think a lot of people will still be wary about going out and about like they did before.

Travel will be the last thing to go back to normal. DH has two weeks off in October, we are hoping to get a bit of autumn sunshine but I’m not even sure that we’ll get anywhere abroad then.

YANBU. Both my DC will be absolutely devastated when they realise their school trips are off. I love making their lunchboxes for the trips and and taking them to school that morning and then picking them up when they return and listening to the stories. I'm sad thinking how much this has impacted their lives. I know they're safe at home which of course is far more important than trips and sports day but it still fills us with grief.

Me too, OP.

I remain VERY grateful to have a garden which is well planted so at least I see some of the changing of the season rituals, such as the coming and going of tulips and blossom and the birds nesting etc.

Yep it's making me very sad. Our village events have been cancelled and I'm gutted. One of them is quite literally my favourite day of the year and I'm so sad it won't be happening.

I am holding to some hope that schools will open again before the summer holidays and there could be some of the normal things such as sports days. I also hope for my daughter as she is in year 6 and I don't want her to miss out on her leavers' party and assembly. The thought that she will never go back to her primary school is just too sad.
I'm really not bothered about things like Wimbledon, in fact it's nice to have a break from them but I understand how much some people do enjoy them and of course it's not good news for the players.
Not too worried about going away either but a few days out would be nice.
One thing I haven't missed is making packed lunches. I hate it!!! I do feel desperately sad at the things that my children are missing out on and unbelievable stress at the school work.

Winter seemed to go on forever this year and it feels like we’ll lose spring and summer and be back in winter again

Yes, i'm definitely feeling like this. It's almost as though we're missing all the nice bits of the year, and when things start to go back to some semblance of normality we'll have dark nights, cold weather and people being too tired / cold to meet up.

Oh I think it's human nature to miss the things you've planned, saved for and been looking forward to. For us, last year was all about relentless hard work so we booked lots of wonderful things for 2020 to look forward to, such as a trip to Chelsea Flower Show, concerts with the kids, family days out and an amazing California road trip in the summer. All of those are cancelled now, and even if the travel ban is lifted in time for the holiday, we won't be able to go as our business has taken a real hit and we won't be able afford it. It's hard not to feel sad, even though in the grand scheme of things these are very, very insignificant.

I am so sad to be missing the bluebells this year. It's oddly comforting to know that others feel the same. Like a PP I too am so grateful to have a garden as it really does help structure time as it does change and grow unlike the house which remains the same. As a city dweller I am loving watching the birds and being woken by birdsong rather than aeroplane noise.

It is the little things that I miss. I would have visited my parents by the sea in the west country this easter and sat on the harbour wall nursing a drink. I am glad that their village hasn't been overrun by holidaymakers and second home owners but can't help feel for the businesses that will be suffering. Really stupid things like not getting my nails done, the same woman has done them for 20 years! I doubt her business will make it though this.

Even if schools go back it is highly unlikely that events such as discos and sports day will be organised. I think 'school' will be unrecognicable for quite a while. I would expect many of them to ban outside visitors for the foreseeable future.

Yanbu at all. There isn't much I miss for myself but I feel sad for my dd missing out on school and seeing her friend and just little trips out that aren't restricted by the virus.

I would expect many of them to ban outside visitors for the foreseeable future.

I think it's is very likely to be the case. In the week before we closed to the majority of students we didn't allow anyone other than staff and students into the building. No reading volunteers, no sports staff, no extra curricula agencies / groups. Even now we collect the key worker children from outside reception and take then to and from parents / carers.

Wimbledon, for sure.

I go every year, we have a debenture which is shared within the family and it is a massive part of our summer.

I missed it a couple of years back due to illness but at least I could watch it on TV! I hope the BBC shows some reruns of great matches instead.

My daughter is 3 and I was so looking forward to this summer as she is now old enough to enjoy and look forward to days out like beach trips, theme parks etc.
She also stated preschool in January and was just settling in when everything closed down. I was really looking forward to her first sports day, first spring fair, etc.

Easter bonnet parades in school ☹️

I usually like this time of year-I feel sad DD and I weren't able to visit my parents last week and we haven't been able to have days out and enjoy springtime.
The summer term is always a fun one too-sports day, the whole school trip and where DD does dancing all the kids and adults do an end of year show which I enjoy; who knows if the dance classes will still exist next year?

@5foot5 We were also intending to go to RHS Tatton Park, we have been going for years now (on the Sunday) and it has become a favourite fixture of our summer. I had already booked tickets for it - for Dsis and myself and for our mum and her partner. They (not DSis) are in decidedly ropy health - mum had her thyroid out due to cancer last year, and her partner has had strokes, blackouts and has reduced lung function. If he gets CV19 he will not survive it, there's no question of that. I'll roll on our tickets for 2021 show but every year that passes, I wonder if it will be their last time? Can only stay hopeful...

Obviously there is more to be concerned about than a flower show, but I am feeling sad about it. And have gone crazy buying plants online instead

I also realised last night that the planned summer walk out and picnic to the island off the coast is not going to happen either. Bugger!

I'm really sad the May Queen events and other small local events won't be on including our annual festival and probably the lantern parade later in the year.
This afternoon is the first time I've been morose about it all but feel cooped up and sad today.