Christmas bubble! What a load of shit

[doodledo92]

Christmas bubble.... really! Sorry but what a load of bollocks all this shit is now!!

The government seem to have it in their head that this christmas bubble is going to make everyone's Christmas

No, I don’t think the government have said that at all. It’s a plan where someone people can see some other people and nobody is alone.

I have to ask...where is your household 5?!

So I have Christmas with my household and support bubble, my elderly relatives and my step sibling and family... Meaning I leave out my in laws, DPs grandparents, my other step sibling and my own father... I mean there is no solution here.

To be honest I think this is a good description of exactly the kind of Christmas the scientists want us all to avoid The rules are specifically to STOP these kinds of extended chains of meet ups where the virus can hop around like crazy.

It's just one year OP. You aren't responsible for what everyone listed does. Agee a bubble of no more than three households and stick to it across the period.

There is no perfect answer and there isn't meant to be. It's intended to allow families to mix in a very limited way and ensure no one is alone.
Worrying that people aren't understanding this. I predict a disastrous January.

One way or another we have one household alone for whatever reason, its horrible. And not being morbid but who knows know if everyone will see a next Christmas... My grandparents are elders, so are DPs, our parents have health issues and everyone of them want to see their (great) grandchild on Christmas.

There is no perfect answer and there isn't meant to be. It's intended to allow families to mix in a very limited way and ensure no one is alone.
Worrying that people aren't understanding this. I predict a disastrous January

Agree.

Those who would otherwise be completely on their own, or elderly relatives who are on their last legs, they should be the priority for the 'bubbles' But no, you have grown adults who can't bear to not see their parents for one year, or their sister, and then what if the in laws feel left out etc etc. Seems like people aren't willing to sacrifice their perfect family Christmas for one bloody year, and I think January is going to be a shit show because of it.

Why would there be one household alone?

It is not just a year. It is 12mnoths since we could get together by law - last Christmas 2019 so if we cannot his year it is TWO years and there is no guarantee Christmas 2021 or Easter 2021 will be free of these terrible laws either.

@Xenia I think you need to work on your maths! Its been 9 months (just over) since the first lockdown started.

And people were permitted to meet outside in the summer months.

It's not the laws that are terrible, it's the virus. We wouldn't be living with these restrictions if there wasn't a global pandemic (in keeping with half of the world's population who have been/are also living under lock down measures in 2020).

And indoors I think. Rule of six and/or two households. Can't quite remember

Lol over the "bubble" confusion.

Why the fuck didn't the government just say "max. mixing of 8 people indoors from 24 to 26th". Simple enough.

Xenia's point about it being a whole year since her family was all together, is , I think why some many people are fixated on Christmas - it's the only time that everyone does get together.

If you like your family, and want to see them, why not start a tradition of gathering at a time that isn't Christmas? Or even better, don't start a tradition that everyone then feels obliged to stick to, but just meet up "every so often".

@RedskyAtnight

Xenia's point about it being a whole year since her family was all together, is , I think why some many people are fixated on Christmas - it's the only time that everyone does get together.

If you like your family, and want to see them, why not start a tradition of gathering at a time that isn't Christmas? Or even better, don't start a tradition that everyone then feels obliged to stick to, but just meet up "every so often".

Yes I know. Its one of the only times my whole family get together too. (Well most of us not all). But the fact we haven't got together since last Christmas is nothing to do with the law, and it isn't 2 years like Xenia said. Its not even been a year. You can't blame the law if you only see each other at Christmas.

I do sometimes wonder why everyone is so obsessed about having to meet at Christmas.

I get on well with my family and parents in law, but I'm an adult and capable of living my own life without needing parents/grandparents around.

All our family live 300 miles away and at most, we'd see each other 1-2 times a year.

We chat on the phone and keep in touch, but physically seeing each other is a dependence none of us need.

We aren't heartless, but just adults with our own lives.

It's not for me either, but getting together at Christmas is a hugely important and symbolic event for a lot of families.

I do get that.

@Stellaris22

I do sometimes wonder why everyone is so obsessed about having to meet at Christmas.

I get on well with my family and parents in law, but I'm an adult and capable of living my own life without needing parents/grandparents around.

All our family live 300 miles away and at most, we'd see each other 1-2 times a year.

We chat on the phone and keep in touch, but physically seeing each other is a dependence none of us need.

We aren't heartless, but just adults with our own lives.

Being closer than you are to your family doesn't make you not an adult . I purposely moved much closer to mine not because I wasn't capable of living further away - I lived between two and four hours from my parents from the ages of 18 to 32 - but because I wanted to see them more often and be more involved in each others' lives. I'd usually see them at least once a week - for months we couldn't see each other at all, and from October until some indeterminate date we can only see each other outside, which is frankly a bit crap, particularly because I'm pregnant and have SPD. So I'd happily skip seeing them at Christmas if it weren't my only chance to sit down, in comfort, in the warm, and have a cup of tea with them for an indeterminate number of months.

@bobbinsmakes3 that's exactly it, too hard to understand or enforce

@Stellaris22

I do sometimes wonder why everyone is so obsessed about having to meet at Christmas.

I get on well with my family and parents in law, but I'm an adult and capable of living my own life without needing parents/grandparents around.

All our family live 300 miles away and at most, we'd see each other 1-2 times a year.

We chat on the phone and keep in touch, but physically seeing each other is a dependence none of us need.

We aren't heartless, but just adults with our own lives.

Oh thank god there's an adult come to tell us how we should be interacting with our families at Christmas!

Yes. it is very hard tio get the 5 adult children together which we usually manage at Easter, a summer holiday abroad I pay for and Christmas. It involves loads of planning (some of it does) around 5 or 6 people's jobs, leave rotas and all sorts and now this Autumn school holidays of the grand children never mind the term times etc of my 2 student sons. In January we book the summer holiday once everyone has clearance from work about time off. We are not all down the road with loads of time on our hands. It is like a military exercise to get us together.

Even now it seems clear we can have our one meal on 25th (and possibly the walk after) I am not sure we will manage it as one of the children is trying to go skiing.

But none of your yearly scheduling complications are due to the government restrictions Xenia or indeed the virus

It's invariably complicated to get large families together, especially when there are partners involved.

@Xenia

It's probably time to face up to the fact they don't all want to spend Christmas with you. I mean, they know if they book a ski trip they can't be your bubble so if they wanted to be with you they wouldn't be booking it.

@StealthPolarBear

Why would there be one household alone?

Because not all households will mix with each other on a one to one basis ie its a mix of inlaws, great grandparents, grandparents, siblings, step siblings, step parents, step grandparents etc.

Belgium have made it simple.We are allowed one person who doesn't live in our house. If you live alone you are allowed 2. Everyone's student kids are coming back from U.K. though, after being tested.

If the one that might go skiing can go skiing we have talked about that and I said (and want) them to go! Usually I pay for all us to go skiing at Christmas but that did not happen this year due to the restrictions. I think it is because of having 2 much younger children that that older ones love to get together with them a few times a year, feeling you are part of that "pack" of 5 siblings as it were so they tend to move hell and high water to manage it. It looks like subject to the skiing we can do it lawfully this year too so that will be nice. We shall see.

As they all know I have never had a single day of my entire life when I have been alone as much as I would prefer so I doubt anyone is coming home specifically to see me!