Christmas needs to be cancelled.

[AlternativePerspective]

So the suggestion to make it possible for the world to go and be super spreaders at Christmas is to stay in lockdown until Christmas, then open up for five days, then go back into lockdown for another 25 days (at least), five days for every day we’re out of lockdown.

Are people really that desperate to have a get together they could have at any other time of the year, maybe in the summer when this pandemic is under control, that they’re willing to spend months in lockdown to achieve it? Really?

My personal opinion is that it is our duty as a society to have a low key Christmas regardless of whether they take this ridiculous measure or not.

I understand that for some they want to see family at Christmas, but these ridiculous suggestions have gone too far.

Just cancel Christmas and give us an extra bank holiday next year to make up for it.

I really do think people need to understand that there are so many different circumstances and scenarios.

Sweeping statements such as "it's just one day and a posh Sunday roast, can't you just do it another time?" really do need to understand that for many, no...maybe they can't. This could be their last or a family members last, so it's so insensitive and actually self absorbed to be so blasé about it.

My parents have both been ill over the past couple of months and my mum might actually be very ill (awaiting test results) so who knows how many Christmases we have left together. Hopefully lots, but it's an awful feeling that this could be the last and so yes, if we can spend this one together, I will be happy.

@mummyof4kids

My MIL lives alone, 70 miles away. She hadn't seen her GD since the beginning of the year except by FaceTime. She doesn't go out, though she's not shielding. She normally comes to us for Christmas, DP thinks she should come regardless. I don't want to break the rules but I can't bear the thought of her alone at Xmas.

Could you not bubble with her - then she could come to you regardless of what the rules were?

None of this is either/or

We’ll be locked up till end March, I reckon.

I agree, OP.

All of this "could be our last Xmas" schmeer is utter sentimental rubbish. It's more likely to be if we call catch COVID.

Diwali and Eid have been in lockdown

'Away on wi calling me selfish and suggesting he should die without having seen his family.'

Yes, which no one has even said.

Most people on this thread have said terminally ill people should of course be able to see family. Mind if he has covid it should be next of kin only, in ppe.

However seeing cousins, aunts and uncles and pals just because it's Christmas would not be a good idea in a pandemic. In fact it would be selfish and irresponsible.

For the thousands of people dying from untreated cancer and other illnesses this will be their last xmas! How about looking at the bigger picture and research the thousands who are neglected by the NHS and Gps and whose mum/dad/daughter/brother etc get to at least have a last xmas. You don't have to have Covid to become a victim.

I agree - the Virus doesn't know it is Christmas (or Eid, or Diwali etc)
A 'lockdown' for Dec & Jan and 3 days (say 24th-27th) is sensible.
Until we have a decent widespread vaccination program available (not before Easter at best, prob next summer) then we have to adjust.
Nobody likes it, some cannot fit into those times, but it's for everyone
'Don't give (anyone's) Granny Covid for Christmas' is a good slogan.

And a fairly lowkey Christmas for the sake of the planet sounds good

Whether we should be 'locking down' or letting rip is a different convo

It is bonkers. What about all the other religious festivals that couldn't go ahead this year, with very little fuss made by the people affected by those decisions. We are a multi faith country, why should one faith's celebration be protected? I am shocked by people who are going to see their elderly vulnerable family, I just hope they fork out on a covid test first rather than presents.

I agree that one faith's festival shouldn't be prioritised - but the reality is that Christmas is largely not about faith. Most people don't do religious stuff, it's about having a party and celebration (which makes sense as it was there long before Christianity), and it's the biggest one of the year for most people in the UK. I personally don't give a stuff and I'm happy to stay at home, but most people who are desperate to have a normal Christmas don't feel that way for faith reasons.

@Yesyoudoknowme

Piss off. My DM has terminal cancer and this will be her last Christmas - so no, she won't be around for an extra bank holiday sometime next year. Not everyone is in your situation you know.

Clearly this doesn't apply to you. Please don't tell people to piss off. Your situation is clearly tragic and if everyone else who have far fewer issues than you're dealing with sat tight then you would be able to be with your family with much less liklihood of giving them covid.

@Royalgiraffe I wasn't against workers. Actually for them. It's unfair to ask people to not have wages ehile whinging that "I simply must have 15 people over Christmas". Since that's fine according to so many, we should just do ilaway eith the whole shebang and let people earn their wages. So open it all. Or people could stop whinging and realise that having one small Christmas isn't not the worst thing which could happen (says someone who had to cancel Christmas plans with a family, understandably as it's international)

All of this "could be our last Xmas" schmeer is utter sentimental rubbish.

Are you denying that this will be some people’s last Christmas or something?

Or are you another that seems to think Covid is the only killer out there?

Yes of course we will wear Ppe. If he’s even here then.

For fucks sake.

@j712adrian

I agree, OP.

All of this "could be our last Xmas" schmeer is utter sentimental rubbish. It's more likely to be if we call catch COVID.

Sentimental rubbish? Give your head a wobble - you win today's most thoughtless comment award.

What gets me is the many of the same people who have spent the last 9 months or so lambasting everyone else as selfish virus spreaders- awful students, dreadful young people, greedy shoppers, evil people going to pubs, terrible people taking their children to playgrounds, murdering arseholes going for an unnecessary walk, etc- are now insisting on their god given right to the Christmas they want. Imagine the outrage if the government had given Muslim families carte blanche to ignore all restrictions for Eid. But apparently it is essential that restrictions are dropped for Christmas? The hypocrisy stinks.

People will do what they will do and I'm not massively bothered either way, I see both sides and am neither a hardline restrictions lover nor a furious restrictions opposer, but I will remember and remind people later on- when it was something you wanted to do, you did it without a thought for the impact on the health and social care system, so you have lost all right to complain about what others do and how their actions might have consequences for the NHS and society.

I agree - the Virus doesn't know it is Christmas

Spread the vi-irus, let it know it's Christmas time ...

Honestly, the only reason this is being said, is they know that MANY will ignore lockdown when it comes to xmas, so its better if they pretend its all fine and they have 'allowed it'. Would look extremely bad otherwise, when loads ignored the restrictions.

What I don't quite understand is people saying they haven't seen their parents for months, but then need to spend several hours or sleeping over in the same house, with them in what is effectively a risky environment for them.

Surely it would be better to see them more frequently but more safely?

My dad has terminal cancer and COVID. His grandchildren haven’t seen him because they’ve been at university. I haven’t seen him because I can’t bubble with him as I have adult children who come home and we aren’t allowed visitors inside the house.

Why is that so hard to understand?

@Sleazeyjet

You have to excuse pps as you didn't quite explain how you were planning your Christmas, apart from saying that you'll all be together.

@Sleazeyjet

My dad has cancer.

If he’s here next year I’ll eat my hat.

People here - family members- are going to move out and live with arelative they’re bubbled with so there is an empty property for the unclean quarantiners to come to it’ll be cleaned to within an inch of its life before they arrive.

There will be shopping left for the quarantine period, and if more is needed it will be delivered.

The people are travelling in the same car. One driving and one in the back. Masked.

How in the fuck am I selfish?

Travelling to someone terminally ill is an allowed exception

I said this. Was it it clear?

*wasnt

Have you any fucking clue how much thought and planning has gone into this? The kids have been stuck in fucking university rooms for the last 2 weeks so they can get home. And my 80 year old aunt is moving out of her fucking house.

So that one of my children and their cousin can be there for 2 weeks.

We had to get special permission from the 2 universities involved from them to travel outside the fucking travel window.

It’s the very fucking bastard definition of not selfish.

Jesus fucking wept this place is vile.

And I don’t give a fuck that it’s Christmas - I’m not a Christian.

It happens to be when the institutions are closed, and when other family members can get leave to get home.

It’s not about whether or not it’s Christmas or Eid or Diwali or any other celebration.

These threads are absolutely horrible.

While I have sympathy with those for whom this is likely to be their last Christmas with loved ones, we didn’t lift restrictions for Eid, Diwali, Passover or other major cultural celebrations for some in the UK on that basis. (In fact tighter restrictions were introduced around Eid).

Christmas is a big deal in our house. I’m gutted we won’t be spending it with wider family as planned. But I don’t think I should have special treatment because I’m party of the dominant culture, and I also don’t think those celebrations are worth the cost in businesses failing, lost jobs, and longer term hardship - including for those who won’t get the ‘payoff’ of Christmas and didn’t get their own big celebrations this year.

Sleazy, its obviously a distressing time but no one here is disagreeing with you. Sorry your df is terminally ill. As he has covid then only the next of kin will be able to see him with ppe on, so therefore all your other relatives wouldn't be able to see him anyway .

That is very different to fit and healthy people having mixed households round because it's Christmas and putting everyone at risk.