Covid and Christmas.

[Pasithea]

Why oh why are the papers and people getting so excited that Christmas has been saved.

Covid does not take a holiday. It is obvious that people won’t comply with the rules and there will be a huge rise after Christmas.

Respect our NHS. Try to do your bit for them and don’t make it worse. Respect the guidelines. The police don’t want to break up your Christmas but they should if your taking the piss

People have gone through years of worse times than this just bloody behave. We spend alternate years with grandchildren . Won’t have seen them except for FaceTime for nearly two years due to other health issues.

FFS it’s one Christmas out of your life.

Could you not have posted this on one of the myriad other threads discussing exactly the same thing on the coronavirus board?

Stop telling people what to do

How patronising. Most people already know everything you have just said.

Oh have a day off.

Oh go away

FFS it’s one Christmas out of your life

No one knows whether it will be their last. This year has really highlighted that. Yabu to expect people not to have Christmas day together if they can.

You can't catch it at the big shops, you can't catch it in mcds, you can't catch it at school but people that might be responsible and isolate for two weeks before Christmas day, or are only meeting for 1 day, are going to end the world 🤔

Ok then.

How do you know it won't be your last Christmas? If this year has taught us anything it's that anyone of any age can die.

It is likely to be Grandma's last Christmas, which is why we are considering a few hours together on Christmas day. Not the usual Christmas Eve to boxing day visit.
We will aim to distance as much as proper and will be staying home from once the schools shut for Christmas. Would prefer to isolate for longer and we are considering taking the children out of school earlier and saying they are ill so we have longer to isolate.

@Rosebel

How do you know it won't be your last Christmas? If this year has taught us anything it's that anyone of any age can die.

I have a chronic illness any day could be my last. As could yours. But we have more chance of having more if we are more careful.

Couldn't agree more @Pasithea

AS for everyone telling you whereabouts you can post, go away etc.... Who made them God?!?
Anyone can post where and when you like, if people don't want to read it there's no one forcing you.

Well... who made Pasithea God? If they feel entitled to tell us what to do, we are entitled to tell them to do one.

People have gone through years of worse times than this just bloody behave

Yes and some people are going through their worst times now. I spent last Christmas with my sister, our families and our parents....This year there will be no parents at the Christmas table...they are both in caskets waiting to be scattered. If I want to spend Christmas with what's left of my family then I bloody well will.

This pandemic has highlighted how people will prioritise themselves and their closest family most of the time... which is understandable. Still, it's hard not to despair the selfishness of people who think it's ok to combine several households from different parts of the country for Christmas. NHS workers are going to have to deal with the inevitable fall out when infection rates go up again in January...

All along the incentive that has attempted to be used to ensure more compliance with restrictions has been to enable something as near to a normal Christmas Day (at least) as possible.

Ironic for a Prime Minister who is the least family oriented that I am aware of.

I mean, obviously you can't tell other people what do, OP, but I am making the same decision as you. Me and DP will be spending the day alone this year, but I'm under massive pressure from my dad to spend the day as normal with them.

I got a text from him yesterday and he was really happy talking about what the rules might be, saying yes, we can all spend the day together as we used to now!

I then had to explain that my decision wasn't going to change, no matter what the rules are. And now he's acting like a hurt puppy and like I've ruined his year .. and I'm feeling horrendously guilty.

Its not just one day though. Who will be mixing after work in pubs and seeing friends before seeing granny on Xmas day.

So, should I chose between my family, or my in-laws, or just not see anyone?

What is acceptable to you?

A recent survey showed that 75% of people would prefer to be in lockdown over Christmas above lockdown in January.

Unfortunately I think that this is another case of the minority who shout the loudest.

And somehow I don’t suppose the people wanting Christmas do so because they want to go to church....

The “it could be your last Christmas” argument is irrelevant. Any day of the year could be your last. We’re all just a car crash away, does that mean people should all just do what they want in case tomorrow is their last day on earth?

Yeh I wish the Muslims celebrated Eid and the Hindu's celebrated Diwali and the Jews celebrated Rosh Hashana and all other faiths celebrated their holy days too. It would make Christmas more palatable, instead BoJo locked down parts of the country literally hours before the the celebrations were to start. And they complied silly to have really hey.

I agree OP. Now the end is in sight with a vaccine and it is unlikely we will be in this position next christmas...its just one day. Another month of lockdown and more deaths to celebrate one day just isnt worth it.
I have no issue with single households visiting someone else and obviously very elderly people and people with terminal illnesses who it's actually likely will be their last xmas...but people who are already living with their families who just want to carry on with visiting all the relatives because 'the government wont ruin their xmas and they wont be told what to do'...I just think its selfish. The effects of lots of people mixing over a couple of days at christmas will be felt for weeks and people will die and more jobs will be lost etc when we inevitably have to lockdown for longer. I'm sure the majority of people could cope with a quieter christmas than they'd like

Respect our NHS. Try to do your bit for them and don’t make it worse. Respect the guidelines

I will be. But I have to say I get a bit annoyed about this being trotted out when the majority of the nurses I know (and I know quite a number) all broke the rules of the first lockdown in terms of meeting assorted people indoors, hugging relatives etc.

It will be more people’s last Christmas if the government encourages large family gatherings than if they don’t.

I’d say they should advise that you can invite someone who would be on their own and also have exceptions e.g for people who are terminally ill or recently bereaved to have small gatherings but in general people should stick to their own household or bubble. This way more of us will live to see next Christmas.

Whilst I agree with the content of your post, I find your bossy, self-righteous tone unbearable.

I already see my parents as they do childcare, most of it in my house. It makes very little difference to the risk of us spending another day together.

You know how people got through "worse times than this"? Community. Friends, family, church, working.