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.

I wasn't actually sure which way to vote, because I do actually love spending Christmas with my extended family, but I don't think that should be the priority right now. I went for yanbu in the end.

Tbh, we won't be seeing family this year even if restrictions are lifted. My DSis has been shielding, and my parents are elderly with underlying health conditions. I don't need the government to tell me that it's too risky to see them this year.

I wish people would have a little restraint so that we could get the pandemic properly under control!

I'm really not bothered. We're not practising Christians and so it's a commercial day with the pressure to spend too much money which I'd rather spend on a holiday next year instead.

I’m not bothered about saving Christmas, like others we will make the best of it and probably enjoy a low key, but nice time.

OTOH I would like to be able to see my adult DC and their partners just for Sunday Lunch or a meal out, and see extended family from time to time. Winter lockdown is hard.

Absolutely agree. Christmas is stressful and I would not remotely mind just skipping it.

I desperately want less restrictions, I'm struggling with the mental health impact of this lockdown. I want as much of a normal life as I can safely have. I hate the idea that we are going through shit just to "save" a christmas day that I don't care about anyway.

Am guessing you are not an 18 year old uni student, away from home for the first time and being asked to spend Christmas alone in a bedsit then.

Diwali and Eid were both in lockdown weren't they - Diwali now and Eid in a regional lockdown. Why should Christmas be any different? If lockdown is needed then lockdown is needed, Xmas or not.

I stopped entertaining or visiting anyone other than my dm for an hour Christmas morning about 8 years ago. Much nicer just me, dh and the kids. Was in response to dh being really ill and in hospital until Christmas day so we weren't sure what would happen so I cancelled all plans.

I love our Christmas day. We open presents, play with toys, watch shit tv, get a bit drunk, eat dinner about 4pm and just generally please ourselves.

I would probably feel differently if I had grown up children who potentially couldn't come tho.

No. I do t think we should undo everything for sake if a few days. It's only for one year. Next year will be back to normal. I often work Christmas anyway and am working this year.

@mongoosebaby

I'm another one who loves the Christmas season. Markets, work dos, carols, ice skating, visiting Santa etc etc. We have loads of traditions we do throughout December. None will be happening this year, so it's already ruined for us. I can take or leave actual Christmas day (I don't enjoy presents really).

Yes, this is me too. I will be ok with a smaller day and dinner, as I mostly can see my family separately, even if not altogether.

But I will really miss the Christmas market, children's pageant at the church, various concerts, the family Christmas Eve karaoke do, Lessons and carols, etc, the Christmas tree lighting at city hall, etc

We'll do some of those things as a family but they really are about the community.

@Serin

Am guessing you are not an 18 year old uni student, away from home for the first time and being asked to spend Christmas alone in a bedsit then.

But for many of them, being locked down in a bedsit is the problem, not the fact that it's christmas? Many aren't from Christian backgrounds anyway.

Better to have less lockdown over the next few months, than harsh solitude december, harsh solitude january, just for a few days of normality around the 25th.

@Serin

Am guessing you are not an 18 year old uni student, away from home for the first time and being asked to spend Christmas alone in a bedsit then.

Students aren't though are they, plans are in place to get them home from university

I clicked YANBU but my answer is kind of between the two.
I love christmas with my family, its not a chore and I would miss it if it didnt happen.
But I dont mind missing it for one year to support the effort towards stopping covid spreading. In the grand scheme of things even though I love it, it's just one day, and with two children in school and childcare settings - it's not really worth risking the health of my wider family

@slothtrot

Diwali and Eid were both in lockdown weren't they - Diwali now and Eid in a regional lockdown. Why should Christmas be any different? If lockdown is needed then lockdown is needed, Xmas or not.

As was Easter.

Christmas is more on the table because it's a widely observed secular holiday.

Not really fussed either way.

No lockdown = big family Christmas with the in-laws, which will be a laugh but also hard work, will involve 3 hrs travel time for us and a fair bit of expense.

Lockdown = the four of us at home alone for the first time ever, eating drinking and hopefully being merry (stroppy teenager allowing)

Either me or my brother will 'bubble' with my mum so she's not alone.

I think Christmas has been spoilt by the excesses. I think it was much nicer when it was contained to December. We start panicking before October now.
People would regularly be shopping for gifts on Christmas Eve. I can’t believe anyone leaves it that late now, mainly because they seem to be in the supermarket buying yet more stuff.
I’m glad we have something else to think about. If you don’t see people you can both use the excuse that postage is expensive and ditch the presents. Hopefully it will save me a fortune in bottles of wine and chocolates because we won’t be visiting all and sundry.

It is not so much I want christmas to be saved, I just really don't want thousands of people to die because of it. The meaning of christmas is lost completely if we are going to put so many at risk.

Personally older people/people living alone should have the chance to bubble with another household as safely as they can, but for everyone with others to share christmas, absolutely not. We are going to see a huge spike and come January - mid winter - NHS will be in a state of emergency. Not worth it. Next year we will have had the vaccine for nearly a year and can have parties then!

I'd love our normal Christmas but I just want to keep the covid numbers low, and that trumps Xmas as far as I am concerned.

I'd be really quite happy to have a smaller, simpler Christmas for once.

Don’t quite get the ‘save Christmas’ rhetoric. To my knowledge, it hasn’t actually been cancelled. True, it may be a bit different this year, but people can still enjoy it and have a good day.

People can always arrange to meet at a later date if they want to get together.

I only have a small family. If we can't see each other on Christmas Day then a few will be on their own. Yes, its just a day but its a shit day to spend alone.

I absolutely love the run up to Christmas, but Christmas Day itself I can pass on. I spend the day with my in-laws who I love, but at the same time wouldn't phase me not celebrating with them. Me and DP are looking on going to an Indian restaurant this year which we have done before with my side of the family, but this time just us 2.

I like Christmas and spending time with all my family, but to be honest this year I don’t want to save it at the expense of everything else. It’s just one day after all.

I'm not bothered about big celebrations or anything like that but if we could at least go back to the rule of 6 then we could have Christmas dinner with my parents a and the same with my in-laws. That would mean so much to everyone involved.

As my kids don't live with me (adults) I will find it very difficult if they cannot spend it together with me, being stuck in student halls or shared housing is tough. My parents too can't wait to see us, it's been since August. Then there's dp's kids, we don't want them to have to decide which parent (adults too)

I agree, OP. There seems to be some kind of obsession that we must have a Christmas just like all the others. Why? It is just one day out of 365 - surely for one year people can accept that it won't be the same as other years and just hope, hope, hope that next year will be better.