To think we need to start celebrating Christmas in summer?

[cynicalsaint]

Okay, I know this sounds insane, but please hear me out.

Flu is predicted to be horrendous this winter. My own daughter has a compromised immune system, which is sort of why I was pondering this.

This years strain of flu is more severe, and is currently high in the young population, but this is expected to spread to the elderly and vulnerable as the winter progresses.

I just thought, Christmas must give flu a massive boost. The elderly spending time with their families ; children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Think of all the people we mix with in those two or three weeks of December and early January. This must surely result in a much greater surge in illness being spread. I know realistically, we don’t get to choose when Christmas is, but this must just put so many additional people at risk during the winter months, and trigger a much faster rate of illnesses spreading. With so many people exposed in those short few weeks, this increased spreading must continue over the course of the following couple of months.

Am I being utterly ridiculous? Is Christmas not that likely to cause so much ill health to our loved ones, or are we putting the elderly and vulnerable at a much increased risk over the winter, as a result of our busy Christmas calendars?

You don’t have to celebrate it at all.

I don’t think me not celebrating it would have much of an impact, do you? If you’re referring to the risks to my child, surely returning to school in January, after everyone had mixed widely over the Christmas break, she would still be at an increased risk,

I wasn’t posting just in the interests of my daughter either. Just as a population, wondering how illness in the winter months would look, and the affect on the NHS, if Christmas wasn’t a thing.

Do it if you want to! Not the weirdest idea I’ve ever heard. I associate Christmas with the time of year (winter), personally, but lots of people all over the globe don’t.

Is there a clue in the name Christmas?

The Australians do, along with other southern hemisphere countries :-)

It’s not bait. I’m just scientifically curious about the impact Christmas has on flu stats, particularly for those who are elderly and vulnerable.

I would actually love this. I think winter is a time for hibernation, we could still celebrate Christmas in a nice, slow, non-consumerist way. Then Easter rolls around and we can party. Better bank hols then anyway.

good point! I may just have to relocate! ☀️😆

To me it’s a mid winter festival that we need to break up the harsh winter , something to look forward to in the depth of looooong winters in the northern hemisphere. I’m not religious, i just really like what it’s evolved into from the pagans and victorians and it’s all good as long as you don’t over consume. It breaks the winter up and it’s good for eg elderly people to socialise as it reduces depression etc etc, they do have options for flu jabs and other communicable diseases.

Thank you. I’m starting to feel this way too. 😄

Yes please. I always spend Christmas trying to avoid people with contagious diseases.

I mean, how would these graphs look, if Christmas wasn’t a thing and we all had a quiet, antisocial winter.

True-I once had it over there and I hated it. Santas hanging from lamposts and Xmas trees in the blazing sun, just didn't cut it for me. Flu has been around for ever. As have old people. And Jesus ain't going to change his birthday for anyone!

But that’s a different question, then, isn’t it? Are you unreasonable to want to celebrate in summer? No. Are you unreasonable to want everyone else to do the same? Yes.

I’ve no doubt you’re right about the spread of disease given all the parties and families coming together and whatnot.

No

Christmas and Yule before it are an essential part of getting through long, dark tedious winters.

After Shitmas 2020 and the winter/spring lockdown 2021, it took a lot of people a long time to regain momentum and recover from a mass depressive state caused by lack of socialising.

Flu has been rampant since part-way through September anyway.

Some of us already do - it's wonderful, and if you are going to celebrate it in summer that would mean we would be celebrating in winter . Not going to happen.

If you want the whole world to move Christmas by six months, it’s a fuck no from me. I love my summer Christmas. And I have done a number of cold, wet, dark Christmases.

However, Australia does a big Christmas in July for those who like a cold one. It’s a big thing here for a get together. You could do the same and have colourful summer clothes, bbqs, salads, white wine in the sun

Why is 2023-24 so different? Was there no Christmas that year?

@cynicalsaint Christmas is in December because the Christians co-opted the old pagan winter solstice celebrations, hence the yule log, Holly and miseltoe and Santa looks like old man winter rather than st nicholas. Jesus's was actually born around March btw.
So what you're really saying is that you think the mid winter feast should be held in the summer because of flu.
So to answer your question yes I think your being ridiculous to think that you can get rid of a 6000+ years old tradition because of a yearly virus that we have vacancies for. You should be more concerned about vaccine uptake amongst children and vulnerable adults is under 50% this year

There really isn't. No part of the word denotes winter or December.

It's no coincidence that Christmas falls at the time of year of the shortest days in the northern hemisphere. People need something to get through the cold and darkness and break things up.

(It's also no coincidence Lent falls at the time of least food in the northern hemisphere.)