So...does Borris really have a plan in the pipeline so families can be together for Christmas?

[BlowMeToBermuda]

Hi,

With rumours swirling, does anyone think there is actually a "together for Christmas" plan?

Before anyone shoots me down, I'm not saying I believe there should be one necessarily. There are certainly more important plans needing to be put together right now.

Don't get me wrong, I would absolutely love to be with family for Christmas, but I just can't see how.

Thoughts?

My guess would be a three day period (Christmas Eve to Boxing Day) where all shops and hospitality venues have to shut but people are free to visit family, regardless of tiers or distance.

@CarryOnWalking regardless of the number of family they meet too? Surely there would be a recommendation on the number of households or a cap on group size? It’s unimaginable that they will say as it’s Christmas go & fill your boots and meet up with all your extended family inside over 3 days, make sure to squeeze everyone in (as we’ll then have to lockdown in January so you won’t see them again for some time.)

I could t care less about Christmas. It would be a shame to undo everything we've done so far for the same a a couple of days. This won't last for ever

I too couldn’t care less about Christmas. Arguments about what to do (or not do) are already causing huge arguments with family, even though all of it is speculation because we don’t know what will be allowed. It would solve a lot of problems for me if we weren’t allowed to see others, but I understand that other people actually like seeing their families!

Grumbly I think there would have to be some restriction on numbers. 2 households, maybe?

@Isthatitnow are you serious?
You suggest closing schools (what about education and working parents who have no childcare), keeping shops shut (there are real people whose livelihoods depend on shops opening), enforcing a travel window (what about workers who can't be off on those days to travel, and if would mean packed transport).

Utter utter madness.

Boris wants to go down in the history books as 'the man who saved Christmas'. He'll do whatever it takes.

@CarryOnWalking I accept you're entitled to an opinion, but my opinion is that a 3 day period of unrestricted meeting of people is absolutely bonkers.

So Covid will magically disappear for 3 days to allow unrestricted socialising? Ridiculous.

I totally agree, but I fear that this government will decide to do something bonkers just to keep people happy!

@TheKeatingFive

peoples lives shouldn't be put at risk for the sake of a glorified Sunday lunch!

It’s not that though. It’s a hugely significant cultural festival in the U.K., not comparable to anything else.

There will be time for family gatherings down the line and they will be all the more joyous

There may or may not be. People do die from things that aren’t Covid, remember. Without question, this will be some people’s last Christmas, Covid or no Covid.

Sat around a dining table talking/arguing about Covid in between mouthfuls of Turkey isn't that significant though, which is all it'll be this year. It's all anyone talks about now.

I'd agree about how important Christmas is to people, but there's no good pretending it's a normal year because it's not.

With a vaccine around the corner, wherever possible we may as well wait a bit longer to all be mixing and for those who are seeing other households on Christmas Day then isolate beforehand.

[quote Chaotic45]@CarryOnWalking I accept you're entitled to an opinion, but my opinion is that a 3 day period of unrestricted meeting of people is absolutely bonkers.

[/quote]
It is bonkers, but anything like that would require a 10-14 day quarantine first which isn't going to happen either. People are moaning enough about not being able to go to the pub for a few weeks, let alone literally staying in the house for weeks.

@Stellaris22 covid won't disappear over Christmas, but it's a delicate balancing act as hitherto compliant citizens- if denied or told its illegal to see their loved ones on Christmas Day - may well say feck it to restrictions and then having done it once, may decide to keep on doing it on an ongoing basis.

Better to acknowledge Christmas- encourage people to mix in ways less likely to push up infection rates i.e. going for a walk outside or restricting gathering numbers and trying to do a bit of distancing- than just ignore it.

To be fair having read this now, I hadn't thought about NYE - what could possibly go wrong with a celebration based on people thronging together in the evening drinking alcohol to see out a dreadful year. Although if a televised newyearathon with doorstep clapping is mandated, I'll happily lock myself in my room with a bottle of vodka until some point in January.

@rookiemere NYE is actually the biggest risk. There'll be parties and gatherings galore and the police won't have the manpower to deal with most of them. And that's after people have seen all their family over Christmas and been mixing etc.

The question is, will pubs and restaurants be open over Christmas and new year? In some ways it'll be better to have people out in pubs on NYE socially distanced but if a 10pm curfew then they'll obviously go on back to parties and if no curfew then no pub will be able to keep everyone distanced at midnight.

Christmas Day, of course families are going to get together and the government are not going to tell them they can't. What they need to do is tell them to isolate before the 25th and it's not a free for all for mass gatherings for 3 days followed by NYE parties.

@rookiemere why would compliant people decide to suddenly not comply because it's Christmas? You're either on board with the rules or you aren't. Just because it's suddenly harder or more inconvenient doesn't make it any less important. People who become non compliant weren't really committed in the first place.

People's lives are falling apart left right and centre. I'm not riding roughshod over rules designed to minimise viral spread just because it's Christmas.

@User158340 I'm baffled as to why you think families are going to get together on Christmas Day, and that this will be sanctioned by the government.

You are aware that Covid spreads via human proximity and shared surfaces? That won't change on Christmas Day.

Mixing families will push infection rates skywards.

Everyone who can face Christmas in only their household or bubble should do so. This covers the vast majority of people. The minority whose personal circumstances mean this would be genuinely so miserable that they cannot cope should be cut some slack.

That way transmission has a chance of being controlled.

Trouble is that too many selfish people feel they fall into the category of being unable to cope with modifying their usual Christmas.

why would compliant people decide to suddenly not comply because it's Christmas?

The world is not neatly divided into compliant and non compliant. Everyone has their limits. Christmas would be an ask too far for many.

New Years Eve will mark the end of Brexit Transition
it will be an interesting time

I genuinely don't get why families feel they can't cope for one day by themselves.

I'm more than happy to just spend Christmas with DD and DH and not see parents. Those who do live with immediate families in a normal bubble really don't need to travel and mix.

Especially happy to be on our own if by doing that it means those living on their own or really do have exceptional circumstances are able to safely mix with others.

@TheKeatingFive I just don't see why? Loads of people have endured a horrific time since March. Why should some people decide Christmas means they should not comply, just because it's a bit too hard?!

So it would be ok for people of other faiths or who hold different traditions to break the rules for eid or Diwali then? What about 18th bdays, weddings, funerals.

It's quite simply a clear measure of how much someone gives a shit about other people, and controlling spread of Covid.

@Stellaris22 yes. Exactly that.

I have a feeling everywhere might be put into the lower tiers for a short while over Christmas. Or there'll be a number limit of how many members of a family can meet for the day which will probably be ignored. Or we'll still be in lockdown and Boris knows people will break the rules but nothing will be done. I can't see the police stopping cars on Christmas day but who knows. The roads are usually very quiet in my town and a car full of adults and children with Christmas gifts aren't exactly going to be on their way for an essential food shop are they.

Im personally not too bothered anymore. We've already decided this will be the first year having Christmas lunch at home. I think on a normal year it might have been quite enjoyable. Pj's, board games, movies but none of that is quite as special this year is it

Cancel New Year - some kind of telethon all-in-it-together might be fun and make Big Ben chime at midnight.

A hellish end.

[quote Chaotic45]@User158340 I'm baffled as to why you think families are going to get together on Christmas Day, and that this will be sanctioned by the government.

You are aware that Covid spreads via human proximity and shared surfaces? That won't change on Christmas Day.

Mixing families will push infection rates skywards.

Everyone who can face Christmas in only their household or bubble should do so. This covers the vast majority of people. The minority whose personal circumstances mean this would be genuinely so miserable that they cannot cope should be cut some slack.

That way transmission has a chance of being controlled.

Trouble is that too many selfish people feel they fall into the category of being unable to cope with modifying their usual Christmas. [/quote]
It's not ideal but there's no way Boris is going to tell people to not see their family on Christmas Day.

These ministers will want to see their own families too, without ending up in another Barnard Castle shitstorm.

As i've said we'll pay for it from January.

@User158340 . I honesty think your wrong and that there's no way Boris will sanction us all seeing our family on Christmas Day. To my mind it would be madness.

But I could be completely wrong. It wouldn't be the first time.

It's really interesting how differently people see this. I can't fathom seeing anyone but my household indoors in such a short time regardless of what is and isn't allowed. Both my parents, step parents and in-laws are in their 70s. If I'm allowed I'll be popping to see them outdoors at a huge distance, but we won't be going indoors.

*you're