What are your Christmas plans

[rooty123]

Interested to know what people are planning to do this Christmas. We normally spend it with both sets of parents in one of our houses. My DPs would be fine with this but lovely in-laws have been shielding and I think it's unlikely they will want to meet indoors, especially as DC will have been in school. We have met up with them once since March, outside 😢.

Wondering if people are planning to isolate for a couple of weeks before seeing vulnerable family members or have any other ideas that might work.

We've not decided yet, but in your situation i think I'd arrange a morning family walk, separate dinner for in laws, then a zoom after dinner present session/quiz to keep them included.

No idea. DS is going to his dad's this year so I might even spend it on my own!

Mine are very up in the air because my first baby is due on 12 December. I’m going to play it by ear and see how I feel before committing to anything!

Usually we take it turn about with my parents and my in-laws. This year is my in-laws turn. They live very close to us so I’m hoping I’ll be up for going at least for the day, even if we don’t stay over.

Dunno to be honest, it depends on what kind of lockdown we are in. I was going to invite my parents over to ours, have our dinner here and then maybe go visit my partners parents in the afternoon with my parents. But if we are in lockdown again which I suspect we might be, probably just a quiet day by ourselves.

We are planning to stay at home, just me dp and Ds. Basically just so we can't be dissapointed or have plans changed at the last minute. Will cook Christmas dinner, decorate, do presents. Try and have a lovely Christmas. And nobody can take it away and that's what's most important for me this year. If restrictions allow we will go to my mum's on boxing Day or they will come here.

Quiet day by ourselves and then, depending on restrictions and the case numbers, we may go and see friends/family for the following two days.

Given rising case numbers I’m not planning anything in advance as likely won’t happen.

Schools finish too late to isolate for 14 days before the two special days.

I’m hoping we’ll do what we always do.

Christmas with my parents, my sister and our family friends. My parents are both more at risk if they were to catch Covid and I will have a 3mo by then so we’ll have to see. I would hate to spend Christmas quietly by ourselves though. It just wouldn’t be the same!

Just spending it at home, the 4 of us. We’ve done that for the past 2 years so this won’t be any different.
My mam is in a care home, so not even sure I’ll get to see her this year or not. They’ve just suspended visits now and we’re supposed to be second wave, flu season by Christmas so not looking likely.

So long as we aren’t on lockdown again we’ll be going to see my parents and sibs.

Assuming things stay where they're at now, we'll have my parents staying and PIL coming for lunch. But it all depends what happens with cases once schools are fully back. We're watching closely although frankly my mum is at the point where she bluntly said she doesn't know how many more Christmases she'd see with the children so she might (with all handwashing / sanitising etc) take the mitigated risk anyway.

Depends on the rules. As is, we'll just have the 5 of us and my mum but if the rules are relaxed then we'll invite BIL & family and PIL. It will be the usual fun Christmas either way.

We're due to host MIL, who we have a bubble with anyway.

DF would like to see us straight after Christmas, but I suspect his DP will still be shielding.

Stay at home. As we have the last couple of years. We've told our families and friends that this is how we'll be doing Christmas and anyone is welcome to join or not join

Saved all the hassle of MIL trying to get us to go to her every year.

You can do what you want it doesn't make you unreasonable. What's your AIBU?

Sadly it will be a smaller gathering this year, as the two relatives who live abroad will not be coming for Christmas. I'd have hosted in normal times had they not been coming, but my mum cannot travel now given her age.

We'll be at home, open invitation to my parents.

@rooty123 that's a good idea, self isolating for a couple of weeks prior to allow shielding family members to visit.

It'll make the pre Christmas prep a bit trickier (no more last minute pop to the supermarket for sprouts) but definitely doable if you plan it right.

All things being equal, we'll likely have my parents to our house as it's their 'turn'. Oh and no roast this year (not COVID related) I just can't get excited by roasts - so we'll probably have lobster spaghetti.

We have started to be quite firm I've set he last couple of years that we spend Christmas day at home, just us and our children, but we have a large family to fit in around the Christmas period and that is worrying me. The firmest tradition is to spend one day with DFIL, his DP, DSIL x 2 and their families. Total of 4 different households and 14 people inc kids. The way convos are happening it sounds like they're all hoping it goes ahead, I'm having a baby at the very end of Nov so not sure if I'll feel comfortable with it (and tbh it's a tradition I don't mind breaking/having more flexibility on). I think my strategy is going to have to be to pencil in when we can see various sections of family but be clear that nothing is firm until we are much, much closer. But some family dynamics are so political, it already feels like a headache I can't be arsed with 🙄

I imagine far more people will spend Christmas at home with their nuclear families.

They will enjoy it so much, they won't want to ever do it any other way again

Just us at home. No travelling, no stress. I can’t wait!