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.

@UndertheCedartree

Most Christmases it is just us and I love it. So that sways my thinking that you can still have an amazing Christmas with just your household. I haven't seen my mum for almost a year due to Covid so I know what it's like to miss extended family but my guess is most people complaining saw their mum a couple of weeks ago - so they'll survive.

This. ^ Many of the people whingeing, and saying 'I'm gonna see my nana on Christmas day, and to hell with what Boris says,' ARE the ones who only saw her a few weeks ago.

They will also be the ones who attended all the protests, rallies, and riots during the Spring lockdown, and who crowded into pubs, and languished around the high streets after hours (with their drinking buddies,) the SECOND the pubs opened after the first lockdown. Completely ignoring the social distancing rules that were still about, and spreading the bloody virus!

They are the 'entitled' brigade who think they should be able to do what they want and to hell with everyone else. Probably don't wear a mask either. I despair for humanity, I really do. These people are going to kill us all.

@Emmacb82

"But the one thing I keep telling myself is that I want my parents to be healthy and alive next Christmas when hopefully things will be a lot better. Why risk taking them a potentially deadly disease just for the sake of eating turkey together and pulling a cracker. Having them in my life every other day is far more important."

This in spades. As I said, sadly, too many people have the attitude that they can - and WILL - see their relatives at Christmas, (even if they are told not to; for the health, and safety, and welfare of the country,) and they don't give a shit about anyone - not even their 'loved ones' it seems, as they seem happy to potentially take the virus to them.

I really hope they're caught, and issued with £5,000 fines. Maybe even sent to prison for 3 months. If they can't adhere to the rules, and stay at home, and stay away from people like they're told; FORCE them to do it by incarcerating them. Problem is, too many British people are selfish, and obtuse, and think it's OK to break the rules, without any consequences. The constant rule-breakers need to be treated a lot more harshly.

I reckon you’re bang out of luck there lisalee

Not enough police to enforce 7 round the dinner table

They will also be the ones who attended all the protests, rallies, and riots during the Spring lockdown, and who crowded into pubs, and languished around the high streets after hours (with their drinking buddies,) the SECOND the pubs opened after the first lockdown. Completely ignoring the social distancing rules that were still about, and spreading the bloody virus

Fuck me theyve been busy

Many of the people whingeing, and saying 'I'm gonna see my nana on Christmas day, and to hell with what Boris says,' ARE the ones who only saw her a few weeks ago.

I do find this difficult.

I have seen my very elderly parents once this year, for 48 hours (had to quarantine for 2 weeks in advance of doing so, as I had been in school in close contact with children from 1st June).

There isn't another holiday long enough for me to isolate to see them again this year, even if it were to be allowed (they are in Wales) so i will just have to wait.

All those people rushing to break the rules who have seen their family MUCH more than I have are making it so much harder to get the virus down to levels where people like me are safe to see their family again..

They will also be the ones who attended all the protests, rallies, and riots during the Spring lockdown, and who crowded into pubs, and languished around the high streets after hours (with their drinking buddies,) the SECOND the pubs opened after the first lockdown. Completely ignoring the social distancing rules that were still about, and spreading the bloody virus!

And after doing all that, they still haven't caught the virus, but will immediately before seeing nana? 'cos there are no examples of re-infection inside 3 months, and even outside it stunningly rare.

I struggle to see how you get so infectious that nana's dead, and not at all infectious that someone can have spent months doing all that and not been infected?

I live alone and I will be spending Christmas alone. I can't protect myself in my job so that means there isn't a chance of seeing my parents. I really don't care, it really is just another day. I spent many Christmas Days alone as a child and growing up so this is no different.

(Sorry, i should have explained: they live sufficiently far away that I can only see them if i stay in their house. Although I could technically form a ;'support bubble' with them, in reality my exposure to potential Covid infection is so high - I am a teacher, no PPE, no SD - that I can only see them if I quarantine in advance.)

Usually I love a big family Christmas. But the idea of sacking it all off and having a bar b que on the beach instead is very, very appealing!

I'd like to be able to spend it with the PILs (yes, really!)

Obviously I'd love to see all my friends and my DM too but that seems unlikely so I'll settle for just the PIls

Absolutely not. IDGAF about Christmas.

During a pandemic, it just feels completely irrelevant and we will be doing very, very little this year. I don’t have small children, however, so that’s easy for me to say.

I want it saved. My sister is my best friend and I am very close to my nieces and nephews. My kids adore their cousins. We normally holiday together at least three times a year. We don’t live near each other so this is how we spend time together. I miss them and I want to spend this time with them.

Having said that, the hardest part of all this is not being able to see my gran, who is 98 with dementia. She knows who I am if I visit but is deaf and going blind so can’t FaceTime or Skype. I have reached a point where I can’t see the point of protecting her from COVID if it means she thinks we’ve all forgotten about her for the last year or so of her life.

babybythesea

I miss my parents. i miss my siblings. I miss my friends. Those are WANTS, not NEEDS, so I know that there is no good reason for me to be granted those wants in the middle of a global pandemic when we should all minimise contact with other people as far as possible to minimise virus spread.

It is not that I don't miss my family, and you do. I miss them desperately. It's just not a good enough reason.

Your gran, now, yes of course. Isolate for a couple of weeks, if you have a risky job, and go to see her.

I'd really like to be able to go and see my parents. Theres only me and dp at home, no kids and it feels kind of difficult to make it fun/different and my mum is really down, but I'll follow the rules whatever they are at xmas.

YANBU don't give a flying fart about Christmas just want my DD home safely from uni and quiet time with my immediate family.

My favourite bits of Christmas are the events leading up to it, meals out with different groups of friends, little traditions here and there.

My family situation - mum with dementia in a home, brother terminally ill with family 200 miles away - mean that however much the government try and 'save' Christmas day, mine will be just us 4 at home. Meeting up with them will be impossible until vaccine.

So on a selfish level I'd rather Christmas wasn't 'saved' for one day because I think everyone will go bonkers for the sake of 24 fucking hours that most of us hang no religious significance on and then come the end of Jan I'll be being told I probably won't be able to see my family for another _ months, my daughter's a levels will be cancelled and my husband will almost certainly lose his job ; I've already lost mine.

But hey, it's christmasssssss!

I think it would be good to know either way, as if we can't visit family then we'll try to go out for a meal just the 3 of us at some point.

Not picking on you at all, but I think this is the kind of thing people have a serious problem with.

If they are saying, you can't have your mum or your kids home for Cgristmas, but you can go out for a meal in a public place, I suspect a lot of people are going to say F that, and have their kids home.

I'm from a big family (5 children, 2 of us have husbands and there is one grandchild) so Xmas day is a big event in our family and always lots of fun. But this year I have found myself wishing we would have a very strict lockdown meaning we would have our very first Xmas in our house just us 3.

It won't happen, even if we're not allowed to meet with others. My parents love having us all there and would be heartbroken not to. My DC says it would be boring just to be at home 🙄 I have managed to reduce the amount of time we would all spend together over the period so that's something.

This is the first Christmas that I won't have my DCs anyway, as our 50:50 custody is finally up and running. So it won't be a proper Xmas for me anyway.

Just DW and I, and we're having steak. Fuck Christmas. 🥂

I think we should all have Christmas in our own households this year - it's one Christmas. The exception I'd make is if you are a one person household, you can bubble for the day.

@babybythesea

Having said that, the hardest part of all this is not being able to see my gran, who is 98 with dementia. She knows who I am if I visit but is deaf and going blind so can’t FaceTime or Skype. I have reached a point where I can’t see the point of protecting her from COVID if it means she thinks we’ve all forgotten about her for the last year or so of her life.

I would see her anyway.

I don't understand hartof - if you're not allowed then you can't meet your family - just say no rather than 'limiting' time. Surely???

@tactum

I don't understand hartof - if you're not allowed then you can't meet your family - just say no rather than 'limiting' time. Surely???

I don't want my parents upset. The rest of my family will be there. We won't be the only family breaking the rule.