To wonder how many people truly want Christmas to be "saved"

[IrkedEssex]

I am no fan of lockdowns and would rather we were not locked down for Christmas. But I think it would be a crying shame if all the privations everyone has suffered are reduced in their efficacy due to a desire to "save" Christmas. Such a move might well involve stricter restrictions in the lead up or aftermath. I am also wondering how many people, in all honesty, absolutely love spending Christmas Day with family.

Most people I know find it at least as much duty as pleasure; traipsing half way across the country to crowd in with relatives, family arguments, restive children, huge expense yada yada yada. In my family it is the older generations who drive the togetherness aspect of it, but they then get the most tantrum-y and ill-tempered. Most people I know mainly love the lead up to Christmas with the fun and the parties and the decorations. Well, we can decorate to our hearts' content and there won't be fun and parties in December no matter which way you look at it. Gifts can be sent. So is it really worth fixating on Christmas togetherness? I'm totally prepared to be in the minority here; am genuinely interested in how others feel about this.

YABU - I and my family love to be together on Christmas Day and are desperate for it to be saved, even if it means stricter restrictions either side of the day itself.

YANBU - Christmas Day gatherings are mostly a hassle at the best of times and it is not worth prejudicing lockdown progress by lifting restrictions purely to save Christmas.

Yanbu

Don't give a toss. And it's my birthday too. If it means I can have a foreign holiday next year they can lock me down until March.

I wouldn't mind being locked down for me and the kids. I'd just worry about extended elderly family being alone. But then maybe they don't care!

I love spending Christmas with my extended family. It is what makes Christmas Christmas. Chatting, talking, laughing, playing games, sharing food and gifts. I will struggle this year if it is just DS1 DS2 and DH, it will be hard to make it special as we spend a lot of time together anyway. There are two parts to your question, and obviously I don’t feel my desire for a lovely Christmas trumps the need to be Covid safe, but I do not find it a hassle, it is not a duty, and it is the day I love more than the lead up parties which are a bit of a hassle.

It'd be an "easy" Christmas if it was just us at home together. I darent hope too much for it though as really it's a bit crap not to be able to go anywhere and some.people will suffer

Neither, we've never done the big, messy, noisy, loads of people and loads of travelling types of Christmas. We've pretty much always done what we want, which to us is staying in our home just the two of us and in the last few years having one guest (my mum).

We'll be doing the same this year, whatever happens.

I do think that if large groups can't get together and people decide to stick to it, then yeah a lot of people will be relieved. But really, I don't know why more people don't take a stand about doing this in the first place if they hate it that much. 🤷‍♀️

I like to spend Christmas with my elderly parents but I've resigned myself to this not being possible even if lockdown is lifted. They are no longer able to drive and I wouldn't want them to risk 6 hours on a train, and I can't go to them because I don't have enough time off work to travel.

I suspect many people will be in a similar position - separated by the wider risks of the pandemic, rather than the technicalities of lockdown rules. So I would rather focus on bringing the UK to a safer situation, than enabling a specific celebration.

I’m in two minds. Because of not being able to see many people this year, I’m more excited about the novelty of seeing people again this year than I would be in typical years. But then if there is the expectation that as soon as Christmas is over that we’d re-enter lockdown I don’t think it would feel like a joyful experience anyway. We’d be better off riding it out and ending restrictions for good sooner.

Honestly? I’m giving less and less of a fuck about Christmas on a personal level. We will celebrate in our home one way or another- food, presents, tree but we can survive this year not being a big blow out.

That’s not to say I don’t feel bad for people who live alone by the way. Or those who only ever see their children/grandchildren/whatever at Christmas. I totally get why others are desperate to save Christmas

I’m happy to have Christmas just as a household and stop more people getting ill or worse. It’s just one day and I’d like the world I return to normal and get through this so my children have a good future.

It’s sad many think it can’t be enjoyed just as a household and still be special.

I have a dd who is in her first year at University. Even back in October she raised the possibility of not being able to travel near Christmas, and that they'd been talking in their flat about how to decorate it and what they would cook together if they couldn't get back. At the time I said nobody has any idea what will happen and lets not worry about it et, but some of the parents on here and a couple of other forums talk about the idea of not being with their (adult) child on Christmas days as if it were the same as watching them being stoned / beaten / crucified / starved / tortured in some other way.
It is just over dramatic.
This is speaking as someone who loves Christmas.
Yes, I'm going to miss singing Carols and all the other things that won't be happening this year, I love the things I traditionally do and will feel a little bit sad to not be doing them but I'd rather adapt this year and not be with my family if that is what it takes to have them all with me for years to come.

I don't want to save Christmas and then be fucked after.

I love Christmas and will have a great time. I don’t care what anyone else does apart from me and mine.

To be honest I don’t give a shit about Christmas Day itself, we spend it just the 5 of us and my mum (who lives alone and is our support bubble) anyway so no change.
I do care about all the industries who will be absolutely screwed without the Christmas season though. Retail, hospitality, beauticians, theatres etc. And others that you don’t really think of. One of my friends is a baby/child photographer and her Christmas sessions are 1/3 of her annual income, and the vast majority of them have been cancelled.

I’m between your two extremes - I love Christmas and generally it doesn’t feel properly like Christmas if we aren’t celebrating with wider family.

BUT I still think it’s only one day and I would far rather we got this virus under greater control and so all the sacrifices people have made aren’t for nothing!

I'm not voting, Christmas wont be any different for us this year than any other year I expect. We always have a pretty quiet and chilled out affair at hom, my dad who lives alone always joins us for lunch, we usually go up to my mum's on the next street over for an hour or so in the morning and that's about it. The only difference this year is that sadly we might not be able to go down to Cornwall to visit my nan as she is in a care home.

Love the run up or school plays, ice skating , Christmas shopping, trip to Santa etc none of which can happen this year. So it may as well stay locked down as I hate the duty day with in law's we only see at Christmas with forced politeness etc.
I am actually hoping I can avoid it this year. Will be pissed off if I miss all the nice pre Christmas stuff but still forced to spend a day with MIL.

I'm not remotely bothered about "saving" Christmas, happy to stay at home with my lovely DC

I don’t care but I’m tired of the idea that Christmas can be cancelled. No it can’t! It’s bigger than that!

Don't care for me. But we have lots of waifs and strays for Christmas. It means a lot to them. I'd be sad to,let other people down. Especially the old ones

CEV household. Locked down since March and beyond fed up. BUT...we continue to do it, with the hope that things will improve in the Spring.

We always spend Christmas at home with just us anyway so no change! Don't like travelling anywhere or hosting!

Presume if you’ve got children, they’re still at home with you.
Mine are a bit older and have all just left home. I desperately want to see them.
This is a recurring theme with my friends.
Lockdown fine if you live with your kids.
Lockdown is awful if you get on with your kids but live apart.

The answer to the question is probably quite a lot of people. Part of the whole trend of upscaling events I have commented on in other threads. Enough for the worst Prime Minister in history and his government to be wanting to 'save it' or at least have families able to gather together and non-retail shops re-open in December.

YANBU
My family are a bloody nightmare when we are all together.
Every Christmas I leave my siblings house muttering I'm NOT doing this next year🤣🤣.