AIBU to think that if covid is that serious time of year (Xmas) be irrelevant?

[Treatscatscrave]

That's it, really.
I'm not a lockdown supporter BUT this talk of 'saving Christmas' annoys me. If covid IS that much of a threat, what's the time of year got to do with influencing restrictions?

The reality is for the vast majority of people it’s not serious at all

Way too much hype and scare mongering to make people think it is

Whether you agree or not, presumably you can see why some people see Christmas as different to the rest of the year? It traditionally being a time when people come together as families and celebrate community, closeness and the spirit of sharing?

The reality is for the vast majority of people it’s not serious at all

But those people for whom it's not serious passing it on to people for whom it is is the issue surely?
Consideration for others? Goodwill to all men anyone?
Nah, thought not

@millymollymoomoo

The reality is for the vast majority of people it’s not serious at all

Way too much hype and scare mongering to make people think it is

So what’s the reason for all this then? Who do you think it benefits?

Can you understand that the relatively small % of people who do become seriously ill is still a very large number of people? A large enough number to overwhelm our health services and have a catastrophic impact on the economy?

traditionally being a time when people come together as families and celebrate community, closeness and the spirit of sharing?

Sharing covid?

It’s a slap in the face for healthcare workers who have to deal with the consequences. And teachers who have to go back to school with mask-less kids who’ve been mixing with multiple households. I have family who work in hospitals (the beds and ICU are full) and schools (half the staff and students off with Covid, the other half of staff at breaking point trying to cope).

I love Christmas but this is so short-sighted and what does it teach us? That actually it’s ok to break the rules if you fancy a party.

It should be all or nothing. Either things aren’t ok and everything is closed or things are ok and we can have semi normality.

@cluecu Yes, totally agree.

Whatever is announced tomorrow I am reluctant to change how we are living as a family just to ‘save Christmas’. All the other major religions in this country have not had concessions made for their festivals this year so why should this one be held in preference to the rest?

And, whatever happens, when the inevitable rise in numbers of infections, hospital admissions and deaths is reported in the New Year, that will be someone else’s fault and not those who saw fit to spend days on end mingling and celebrating!!

All we're doing is lengthening the pain, ensuring more deaths and guaranteeing that more businesses go to the wall and more jobs are lost.

This.

Christmas gatherings promote intergenerational mixing, in my case this includes young primary kids right the way up to multiple great grandparents, like many families. With the kids in schools in large bubbles, as much as I desperately want to see my grandparents, I will not risk it.
The only way I would consider this was if the kids broke up earlier allowing enough time to isolate them away from school bubbles before meeting elderly relatives.

This whole ‘Saving Christmas’ thing reminds me of the summer when people were desperate to go on holiday, and the government actually promoted it, mid-global pandemic, utterly crazy when you think back, and obviously one of many causes for a spike not long after.
Why is sacrificing one holiday or one Christmas too much to ask, to save lives.

All the other major religions in this country have not had concessions made for their festivals this year so why should this one be held in preference to the rest?
And there is this

No I don’t buy into it
And when people actually look beyond the headlines into the actual numbers and statistics neither should they

Easter was in full lockdown remember. That's a more important event in the Christian calendar than Christmas. People always forget that when they remind us that other faiths have had their holidays curtailed.

@flaviaritt

Christmas is a special time when people feel the need to see friends and family, reflect on the year, be thankful for what they have and celebrate the nice things in life. If you can’t see why people think that’s important 🤷🏻‍♀️

Or they just like not going to work, eating and drinking to excess and watching lots of telly.

But even if you were right, they can do that anytime - preferably when this is over.

I think the issue is that, even back in March, there was an implication of "Do this, and you'll be able to have a lovely Christmas with family and friends".

Because they knew that the majority would not comply a second time with lockdown and they would be heartily sick of restrictions by Xmas. So next to noone would actually follow restrictions DURING Xmas. They want to maintain an illusion of being in control. So they lift restrictions over Xmas when no one will follow them anyway and they have a better chance of garnering peoples good will and getting them to comply afterwards with a 3rd lockdown. That's my theory anyway.

I agree with you 100%.

It's either a dangerous virus or it's not, but that doesn't change just because it's Christmas.

If we can risk lots and lots of people, including vulnerable and elderly, catching it over Christmas, then what makes them any less likely to die than if they caught it at any other time of the year?

If we relax for Christmas, it can't be 'that bad', so I would like to see their arguments for locking down again afterwards.

@ScotchBunnet

Whether you agree or not, presumably you can see why some people see Christmas as different to the rest of the year? It traditionally being a time when people come together as families and celebrate community, closeness and the spirit of sharing?

Absolutely! Let's all share our covid germs with Great Auntie Nora because it's Christmas and we must share. Never mind that she'll die before the new year, because at least we had Christmas!!!!

Ridiculous argument.

I agree, OP.

The government know they should be carrying lockdown on over Christmas but if they do that they know they’ll always be the government that ‘cancelled’ Christmas. So it comes down to wanting people to keep voting for them.

That being said people will do what they want at Christmas regardless of what the rules are so it would be pointless to say they can’t.

I think the message should be something along the lines of not making it illegal to see family over Christmas but to hammer it home that people should think carefully about how vulnerable the people you are mixing with are. Reminding people to still try and limit how many households they mix with and not just see all and sundry because technically they can.

I know it’s been a tough year but a low key Christmas can still be a good one, it’s just a bit different.

It's psychological. They need to manage the human factor, that's why they're doing it.

Exactly, I don't understand why that's difficult to understand.

Also what @cluecu said.

That being said people will do what they want at Christmas regardless of what the rules are so it would be pointless to say they can’t.

I agree so it's pretty pointless for them to try & stop it.

Yes it is very strange