Christmas - following the rules or not?

[BIWitched]

From what we know right now (and accepting that things may change in the next few weeks) if you're in tier 2 or 3 re you going to obey the rules about not mixing households indoors?

YANBU - I will be ignoring the rules
YABU - it's my civic duty to obey the rules

Tier two here and we will likely be having a 3 household/10 people Christmas. Every one there mix in some way currently anyway so no greater risk IMO.

The pride some people feel by declaring that ‘no I’m not following the rules’ is sickening. Aren’t you clever not giving a shit.

I think that’s what I find so irritating. They’re acting like naughty children thinking they’re big and showing off. It’s pathetic.
I’ve said before that my child can’t get the medical treatment they need because of covid. They’d feel differently if it was their child, at least I hope they would. It’s heartbreaking.
I understand it where people are saying they’re not leaving their elderly mum on their own but to the people who are having big family christmases of multiple households or who already live with 3 people and plan on mixing with another household that isn’t on their own, it pisses me off.
I knew people were on the whole selfish before this crisis, but this really has shown many people up for the selfish bastards they are.

This thread shows exactly why our Covid rates are so high in this country.

So many people believing that the rules just don't apply to them, that their circumstances are so special, that no one has the right to impose restrictions on them for a holiday. The mental gymnastics involved for some of you to convince yourself that you multiple-family-mixing Christmas poses no risks...

I'm uttterly appalled.

We will be sticking to the rules. It'll be miserable, but FFS, it's ONE year. And if you all flout rules it'll be longer.

Every one there mix in some way currently anyway so no greater risk IMO.

In your opinion. Lol. Another expert. 🙄

I couldn’t live with myself if I broke the rules and my immune compromised spouse got sick.

I just can’t fathom the lifetime of guilt people must feel. If you follow the rules then you did the best you could. If you break them, then that loved ones death going to haunt you forever. It’s just not worth it to me.

Yes, I will be following the rules with a heavy heart. My mum and dad are over or very nearly 70 and I am a couple of hours away by public transport.

They are T3 and I am T2 but a very big city.

I can tell the current lockdown is really affecting my very outgoing mum so we will video call regularly. I haven't seen my brother in ages and he is in a T1 area. I would love to do a day trip to them but again, its a long trip on public transport and would be travelling from a higher risk area.

Living on my own makes this Christmas a bit of a lonely prospect but we are all pretty aware of the risks and I would never forgive myself for bringing the virus to any of them if they got really ill.

Cant believe the amount of people that are not going to follow the rules

January deaths are going to sky rocket...
Lets hope its not you relatives !!!!

Its one day! Get a grip!

Looks like we have to adopt the Brexit spirit of the War here. Remember that? What a double whammy this all is.

And mark my words if a spike happens it won't be the Gov fault, no it will be ours for not doing what the Gov in garbled fashion told us what to do.

Just like they are trying to pin the Brexit debacle on the EU, but Barnier is clever and has a decent haircut.

I’m so incredibly torn my dd is really upset at the prospect of being on her own at Xmas. She’s only 9 but thinks we should all go into lockdown in the weeks preceding Xmas day so we can be together for the day. Apparently it’s as unthinkable as thanksgiving without turkey!

@fatherliamdeliverance

Yes, I will be following the rules with a heavy heart. My mum and dad are over or very nearly 70 and I am a couple of hours away by public transport.

They are T3 and I am T2 but a very big city.

I can tell the current lockdown is really affecting my very outgoing mum so we will video call regularly. I haven't seen my brother in ages and he is in a T1 area. I would love to do a day trip to them but again, its a long trip on public transport and would be travelling from a higher risk area.

Living on my own makes this Christmas a bit of a lonely prospect but we are all pretty aware of the risks and I would never forgive myself for bringing the virus to any of them if they got really ill.

I'm really sorry to hear of your circumstances. I am in a bubble with a friend and her husband. It would be really irresponsible to meet up with other people and jeopardise their health. They usually spend Christmas with her husband's sister but won't be breaking the rules to do so this year. I think they see quite enough of me as it is and are looking forward to having Christmas on their own for a change. I'm sure we'll speak on the day and I'll probably go over on boxing day.

You best believe there will be numerous governmental officials breaking those rules..

You best believe there will be numerous governmental officials breaking those rules..

Does that help when you need a ventilator.... or when there’s no beds left for you because so many people are ill ? ......no? Thought not.

I wonder how many angry posters went to the hairdressers, beauty bars, pubs, shopping for one none essential item, bottle of wine, bunch of flowers, birthday card, etc last week? But if course that’s completely different because rules? The virus wasn’t any less contagious last week, was it?

I haven’t had a haircut, went to a beauty bar, pub, meal, etc, because I won’t take the risk and I think doing any of those things is silly, during a pandemic. But you’ll judge every single person who breaks the rules at Christmas because the government says no.

You could have stopped doing all those things as soon as the numbers starting raising, because every single none essential trip to the shop, pub, etc caused an increased risk of passing it on. Why did you keep putting others in your family at risk. Any judgmental poster who did a single one of those things or similar and comes on here mounting off about what others are doing at Christmas, even though we don’t know what rules the governments will put in place by then, is a hypocrite.

We live in Tier 1, but DNiece is at university in Tier 3. She's invited for the Christmas holidays no matter what the rules are. Her parents are abroad so she can't "go home".

We won't be mixing with wider family.

@DeliciouslyFemale

I wonder how many angry posters went to the hairdressers, beauty bars, pubs, shopping for one none essential item, bottle of wine, bunch of flowers, birthday card, etc last week? But if course that’s completely different because rules? The virus wasn’t any less contagious last week, was it?

..................

I havent done any of those things actually!

We're following the rules. If even a quarter of people break the rules for Christmas, there'll be hundreds of thousands of journeys and people mixing there wouldn't have been otherwise, seems like madness to me.

Wonder what kind of uproar there'd have been if everyone celebrating Eid had ignored the rules?

And, @deliciouslyfemale - I've seen my mum twice since February, my sister once. I haven't had a haircut, been to the gym, hung out with my friends. I've narrowed my world to gardening and working from home, and going to a supermarket once every two weeks - I'm perfectly happy to do that (and lucky that I have circumstances that mean I can do so relatively easily), for the safety of other people.

So yeah I feel entitled to judge people - not because I don't understand the want to spend Christmas with family, but because just looking at how many potential infections it could cause, it's absolute madness to engage in mass transit around the country when everyone is very clearly sick of this pandemic. If you're sick of it, actually follow the rules (as you're able - I understand people have different circumstances).

@DeliciouslyFemale

I wonder how many angry posters went to the hairdressers, beauty bars, pubs, shopping for one none essential item, bottle of wine, bunch of flowers, birthday card, etc last week? But if course that’s completely different because rules? The virus wasn’t any less contagious last week, was it?

I haven’t had a haircut, went to a beauty bar, pub, meal, etc, because I won’t take the risk and I think doing any of those things is silly, during a pandemic. But you’ll judge every single person who breaks the rules at Christmas because the government says no.

You could have stopped doing all those things as soon as the numbers starting raising, because every single none essential trip to the shop, pub, etc caused an increased risk of passing it on. Why did you keep putting others in your family at risk. Any judgmental poster who did a single one of those things or similar and comes on here mounting off about what others are doing at Christmas, even though we don’t know what rules the governments will put in place by then, is a hypocrite.

I haven’t done a single one of those things since before lockdown.

My mum died in March (covid) and my dad will be gone by Christmas (cancer), so no, what's left of our family will all be together on Christmas day. After losing both parents in less than a year we won't be having a "Merry Christmas" or a "happy New Year" we will just be trying to make it through the day (which also happens to be my birthday), without falling apart. Go ahead, call us selfish, covidiots, or whatever else and enjoy your Christmas, we sure as hell won't be enjoying ours.

Wonder what kind of uproar there'd have been if everyone celebrating Eid had ignored the rules?

I live in a largely Muslim area of Bradford.... most people were not following the rules. I dont blame them.
And whilst there was an increase in cases over this time the massive spike in cases did not come 2 weeks after eid, we've seen greater increases since September.... wonder why that is.

*I will be following the rules

The more people who decide they don’t apply to them the longer this is all going to carry on.*

Same here. Infuriates me to read that so many people won't be.

I'll follow the rules but it will be shite knowing my poor old parents will have to spend Christmas alone for the first time ever but we will FaceTime them. But as they're both in their 70s it's the right thing to do. We won't see my sister and her kids either so it'll just be me DH the toddler and the newborn. My DHs family are in Wales so God knows when we'll get to see them again.

@legalseagull

"If I was in Scotland or Wales it wouldn't be breaking the rules so it seems ridiculous that 5 toddlers can't meet"
Well the rules in Wales are that you can only buy essential items in shops. Supermarkets cannot sell clothing. Does it seem ridiculous that in England we can buy clothing in supermarkets? Or are you going to not buy non-essential items in a supermarket because it isn't allowed in Wales?

@Angeldust747

We are in a childcare bubble with my in laws so will be spending Christmas with them, all within the rules. It will be a lot smaller than normal but at least we won't be completely alone. If it weren't for the bubble then I think we would end up breaking the rules

There is no such thing as a childcare bubble...

That would mean I can go and spend Christmas with my childs teachers, nursery workers....

They are providing childcare for your child.

My parents have had my children once overnight (when the rules permitted) and we all still socially distanced etc.