Do you think lockdown will be lifted for Christmas?

[BlusteryShowers]

I can't help but feel quietly confident that there will be an announcement some time in December allowing an easing of lockdown measures for a short period over Christmas.

I propose that the govt suspect many would flout rules any way, so they may as well make it Part Of The Plan and take credit for their benevolence.

The timing of the announcement would be interesting. The spending that goes into Christmas is huge and lots of businesses rely on it. Can we even afford a very very low key Christmas?

Does anyone else think this?

[RufustheSniggeringReindeer]

I agree with those mentioning other religious festivals

I dont think they will make an exception...unfortunately

[Thegooseberrysmywitness]

Not if, as announced, they are trying to break the links between family units.

[NotAKaren]

I wouldn't plan on it

[IceCreamAndCandyfloss]

I highly doubt it as there would be uproar as other religions had restrictions at their special times plus the message can’t be it’s ok to party.

[ktsc89]

We were meant to have nearly 20 people over Christmas Day - madness I know but new home and extension so my OH decided to invite both sets of families.

I think il have an awkward conversation at some point picking between both sides.

My prediction is 6 without including kids in that (to keep some kind of Xmas spirit)? Don't have a crystal ball though!

[UrbanGreen]

I obviously live a strange life because Christmas for me will be the same as normal. I’ll still Spend the same amount of money. The only thing that might be Different is not going to church on Christmas Eve. I just don’t understand why people are saying Christmas is cancelled. Surely it will just be a bit different for some?

[The80sweregreat]

The Christmas threads will be quiet on here! Sil's and mil's will have to cook their own dinners this year ..

[LetsPlayAGame20]

I'm with PP I will have either inlaws which will make 8. Or as my dad makes 9 ( he's our bubble as single but often likes Xmas alone so not sure) nothing will stop that. We see inlaws twice weekly. They take kids out etc. And we eat there. So I'm not going to stop Xmas day. Lots I've spoken to have said the same.

[BuffaloCauliflower]

I really pray restrictions are lifted even for a bit as I honestly feel like I’ll have no choice but to flout the rules if they’re not. I know that sounds bratty but Christmas is literally the most important thing in my entire year, I’ve never deviated from our traditions once and I’d be utterly miserable if I did.

[Funkypolar]

There’s the high street gone then.

[BuffaloCauliflower]

@Funkypolar people can still buy and send presents even if there’s restrictions on groups

[ifonly4]

I really believe things will have to get tougher. The restrictions announced in England, although they will help, aren't going to make a big difference. We have to find a way of keeping people in jobs, mental wellbeing and preventing covid escalating. I've read again and again the main problem is households meeting up indoors even though there should be SD. The best we can hope for is that people on their own can have xmas with their bubble or if they don't have a bubble a friend.

[Chaotic45]

It would be madness IMO. It's one day, and if these harsh measures are necessary then removing them for a day is ludicrous.

[BuffaloCauliflower]

@UrbanGreen my ‘basic’ Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (all one big celebration here) involves 15 people. We spend shed loads on food and drink as a collective for the whole period. There would be no way to reduce it to 6 without making all the other people very unhappy, all the people are equally important. It wouldn’t be Christmas without it all.

[Funkypolar]

I think a lot of people are going to be unwilling to queue up outside in the rain in a soggy facemask to shop.

By Christmas no doubt socialising will be banned. Why buy presents when you can’t see people to exchange them?

I remember a Mumsnet post about somebody leaving homemade brownies outside a friend’s house in the height of lockdown as a gift and they were roundly shrieked at. Because of infection.

Same as the posters who isolated deliveries for 28 days.

As unemployment rises, there is going to be less money to spend. Many people like me will be choosing to save rather than splurge as 2021 is going to be a very difficult year.

[tootyfruitypickle]

It’s not that much of an issue, single adults can bubble so they don't have to spend Christmas alone. It doesn’t seem a big deal just to do it a bit smaller for one year. I often just do it with dd, which is lovely. Pj day!

[Funkypolar]

The number of suicides over Christmas will be much higher this year.

[BuffaloCauliflower]

@Funkypolar all fair points

[Reddog1]

I thought that it was a non-story leaked to divert attention from the testing fiasco.

[tootyfruitypickle]

If we can take kids out of schools for a term and a half we can certainly reduce Christmas to immediate family only! The consequence of lifting restrictions might be schools off again.

[yolio]

About time the madness of Christmas was consigned to the dustbin. Every other industry/business is suffering, but to have people going hither and thither over Christmas is just asking for another mad outbreak.

But some will break the rules, I know that. Nothing we can do about it.

Anyway it is only one day, and it's a good lesson to learn that we can't always have exactly what we want either. I'm totally with those with elderly parents, but what do you do? Expose them to the virus in a warm indoor setting all day with others?

Just two of us here for Christmas Day, and it took a long time for people to understand that the (often) false jollity, boredom, and so on was not for us anymore. But it's fine now.

We will survive, where is all the Blitz Spirit gone!

Do what you can and hope you enjoy it best you can.

[BuffaloCauliflower]

@tootyfruitypickle it might not matter much to you to just do it smaller this year. It would to me. We always have the whole family at DMs, same people every year we never deviate, and would be impossible to exclude anyone.

[Chaotic45]

@BuffaloCauliflower so would you suggest that you just carry on regardless because the current situation doesn't fit with your traditions?

I'll be making the necessary adjustments because for me Christmas isn't more important that doing my bit!

[Qasd]

Not a chance, winter makes the virus worse, anything in place now is there until the weather improves..I would say March/ April at the earliest.

[tootyfruitypickle]

But there are lots of things that lots of us would have done this year which we haven’t. Christmas is no more important than all the other things people have sacrificed . For me, a foreign trip is way more crucial than Christmas, but I didn’t do that.