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?

One of my greatest pleasures in life is sitting down at the end of boxing day and catching up on the car crash that was other people's Christmas on mumsnet. It always makes me feel better about whatever I managed to balls up. There is a comforting solidarity in knowing that everyone is fucking up Christmas so I sincerely hope we will have a teeny semblance of normality to moan about on here....

No way

I don't think so. Wouldn't it be asking for trouble especially with intergenerational mixing.

Xmas is cancelled

Why should we be exceptions for one religious holiday and not others

Not a chance.

I think there’ll be a harsher lockdown. A chance to halt the rise in cases before the next school term, the January flu season, while people are off work anyway.

@Mesoavocado

Xmas is cancelled

Why should we be exceptions for one religious holiday and not others

Easter was cancelled so stop being sanctimonious.

Yep, I am Jewish, it’s the Jewish new year right now and they haven’t relaxed restrictions for us. And we had Passover during lockdown and it wasn’t relaxed for us then either. I have Muslim friends who celebrated Ramadan in lockdown without the rules being relaxed by the government! OP, you’ll just going to have to suck it up this year if it also means that Christmas is a bit of a wash out. Wondering if the OP is one of those over-entitled people who thinks they should always take the day off work when it’s their birthday. The reality of the situation means that unfortunately things will be different this year. Do what you can to make it meaningful despite the difficulties and look forward to a time in the future when things are more normal.

@pjmask

I doubt it. How will all the people who had their Eid celebrations ruined feel about that?

I doubt it too, but remember that Easter was cancelled for Christians. Apart from some confiscated Easter eggs, I don't recall much moaning about that.

Yep

Boris saves Christmas

He’s a muppet

I think it will depend entirely on what is happening within the healthcare system. Shops will most likely stay open to ensure people are spending. There is also the online shopping option which many people will opt for. I usually have a family member fly over for Xmas but I can’t see that happening this year so it will just be the 6 of us and hopefully a normal Xmas dinner. I’m not in the UK so turkeys are hard to come by! People will still put up their Xmas tree and decorations and give gifts so it won’t be much different to normal aside from not seeing people outside of your household.

No I think lockdown will continue through Christmas. Due to the weather you would need to be indoors and the chance if it spreading like wildfire in the flu season is what they want to avoid. So I’m fully prepared that Christmas will be just us in our house and Skype Christmas dinner with parents

I suspect rules will be reinforced for Christmas.
Or should be.
People will still break them.

No there won’t be an easing. There were restrictions around Eid, they won’t dare allow us to mingle at Christmas. Equality and all that.

Peak flu season is early January and into February.

Its not feasible to remove restrictions into the lead up of that.

I hope so as I am overseas and desperate to get home to see family but sadly I think it’s unlikely. Going to just spend Christmas feeling sorry myself with my children and husband :( Would love to see my elderly mother. It’s all very rubbish

Yep 48 hour amnesty, then back to lockdown!!

I don't see how they can relax the social distancing.

If they make the announcement in plenty of time for people to make plans to have xx people round for Christmas dinner they risk getting nearer the time and finding things are sufficiently bad that this would be a terrible idea, and if they cancel last minute people and turkeys will be in the wrong place, wrong size etc.

Or they announce it late and the bird in your fridge isn't big enough, you've not planned for extra people for lunch.

Plus it's not just one day. Not everyone has their christmas family gathering on christmas day. Some people might have christmas day more quietly and see relatives on another day, other people we know work at christmas and celebrate later or earlier in the week. Would it be a relaxation for several days? Or just a day and if you miss it tough?

Also, would they restrict the number of people/households? We normally mix about 6 or 7 households on christmas day. Would they limit the number, and if so how would you decide who to invite? Would you have the closest family, or have the more distant single family members who would otherwise be alone?

no

no

but I do think current restrictions, such as they are, will be far stricter by then

I think a lot of people have accepted that Christmas will be different this year.

Tbh i dont think they should lift restrictions for Christmas as sikhs had to cancel vaisakhi, muslims had to cancel eid twice and hindus will have to cancel diwali so its only fair that the same thought process is done for christmas.

I agree with the PP who highlighted other religions not having restrictions lifted. It has been very hard, very isolating and different. We have been unable to have the family gatherings or go to our places of worship. These holidays are as important to us as Christmas is to other people. It’s our holiday where we fall out with family over who is coming to who and who left out who. It has been hard and frankly sh*t. But you know what, we got on woth it and dealt with it and quite frankly I’ve no sympathy for people who think that they are more special and need special dispensation when those of us of other religions have just had to get on with it

Nope!

I hope not if case numbers are still high. If it is we could we’ll kill a few ppl in January

I doubt it very much