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.

You are being totally unreasonable. I will be having Christmas with my Parents and I'm happy to self isolate before to be able to do so. My parents are elderly and may not have another Christmas so I will see them regardless.

I get that loads of misery guts hate Christmas and would love everyone to be as miserable and joyless as them but unfortunately for them its not going to happen.

Who made you dictator?

January and some of February will be fucked either way.🤷🏻‍♀️

I think they should set a target. "If we get to ### cases then you can have Christmas. Otherwise it will be treated like any other day and police will be breaking up your gatherings"
Then maybe people will follow the rules a little better because there's still so many just doing whatever they please.

People will do what they want

@pussycatinboots agreed

Cancel your own Christmas op. Keep your nose out of mine.

Judging by compliance with the current lockdown; which seems very low, I don’t think it matters what the government say at this point. They’ve ducked around too much and nobody has any confidence in them or their rules... so it’s probably smarter to plan as if everyone will mix as normal, and be pleasantly surprised if a decent number of people don’t. There will always be families who didn’t mix with others anyway, or who aren’t comfortable with the risk level themselves, or who use it as a break from “bigger” Christmas’.

But I do struggle with the trade off for that being a lot more small businesses and hospitality businesses not surviving, because they can’t reopen.

@ Neron well they could just get rid of the extra one they’re planning for 2022 and move it into next year.

But that aside, the damage to the economy done by an extra month (at least) of lockdown so people can socialise for a few days is going to be far worse than it would have otherwise.

Added to which, about two weeks after Christmas the figures will start to rise again, meaning that the likelihood of coming out of lockdown at the end of January will be less.

The hope would be that people would have a low key Christmas regardless, but reality is that they won’t. It’s part of the reason we had to introduce such draconian measures in the first place. If people had stayed away from large events, not gone out drinking in the streets when the pubs closed etc, not flocked to the beaches when they were asked not to, we wouldn’t have had to be in this situation in the first place.

Measures are put into law because people refuse to use common sense.

@Muchadoaboutlife well said. There is a 50:50 chance my dad won't make this Christmas let alone the next one.

With the promising vaccine news (and hope next years Xmas things will be a lot more ‘normal’) then I’d have thought we should just put up with a quieter Christmas this year

@merrygoround51 she is right. Yes if you are a 60 year old granny then you are at less risk but people over 70 are vulnerable by distinction of being that age alone.

If you go and visit someone in a high risk group and you have been out and about and mixing then you DO risk giving them a virus that could kill them. That's fact not fear.

No need to cancel Christmas and you cant anyway. People just need to make sensible choices based on their own family circumstances.

I think "What are you giving Granny for Christmas this year? Covid-19?" needs to be on advertising posters everywhere.

Yeah, let's add to the scaremongering should we? Get a fucking grip.

@makingmammaries

I think "What are you giving Granny for Christmas this year? Covid-19?" needs to be on advertising posters everywhere.

I agree with you, OP.

I'd love this!

The general public have lost all trust and faith in the government, the government have lost control.

They have to create the illusion that they are allowing something of a normal Christmas to go ahead, because for most people, a normal Christmas will go ahead regardless of 'the roolz'.

@Muchadoaboutlife that was a really rude response. It's you that would be playing god by spreading a virus to people that might die from it for the sake of YOUR selfish desires to eat a roast dinner.

I agree. It’s not the only day people can be with family. Plus who wants to do it in the knowledge they could pass on a virus that kills. Surely people want to protect their loved ones.

It’s not worth what will follow. Can you imagine the cases in school and workplaces after and what hospitals will be like.

@Iamthewombat

Steady on, Oliver Cromwell!

My Mum has for the most part coped pretty well since March. She lives alone & like many people has missed so much this year with her family. Holidays with her grand daughters, general family things but shes doing relatively well.

My brother is pretty strict about keeping to the rules, we both work for the emergency services so its been business as usual for us & as a result we do worry about the risk to Mum.

Christmas has been a taboo subject with her and she's been quite subdued if its been mentioned. My brother and I discussed it the other day & agree her & i (extended household) will go to his for our Christmas Day. There are only 6 of us and itll be 2 households. Were not going to sit round the table for a traditional dinner instead were opting for takeaway and can social distance in the living room.

Since we told Mum the plans shes like a different person. Ultimately we've made the decision based on whsts best for us as a family & weighed up the pros cons & potential damage to her mental health.

Christmas doesn't need to be cancelled. People just need to be sensible

And it could be any one of our last Christmas this year. In fact it could be any one of our last day today

Yeah and that's just speculation.

Completely differently to the poster that said her mum had terminal cancer. That's a known fact.

@Iamthewombat

Steady on, Oliver Cromwell!

You can't actually cancel Christmas (unless you're Oliver Cromwell) because the day, Dec 25th, is going to happen.

Of course the gov could keep us in lockdown, or allow small groups to get together, or allow us to be 'normal' for a few days.

Personally I don't actually think it matters either way. If they keep us in lockdown some people will do their own risk assessment and get together anyway.
If they allow get together of any size some people will have more than "allowed". And people who don't think its worth the risk can still choose not to meet up with other people.

@AlternativePerspective self employed people don't get bank Holidays!

How exactly are you planning on enforcing this?

Will you be deploying the army and actioning raids on Christmas Day in which your 80 year old grandmother is escorted into the back of a van?

With the best will in the world you can't cancel Christmas.