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Original poster

Feeling confused about the Christmas bubbles....

46 replies

ThornAmongstRoses · 25/11/2020 07:35

Can someone explain the Christmas bubbles to me please?

I get we can mix three households, but does that mean three households can be under the same roof at the same time? Or that you can see two other households but on separate occasions?

It’s so hard at my end.....

My parents are divorced and both live alone, and my FIL also lives alone since MIL passed away.

We obviously want to see all of them and we just aren’t sure how to go about it.

Initial plan was that my dad was going to come over on Christmas Eve, FIL come over on Christmas Day and then my mom come over on Boxing Day.

If they come on separate days surely they aren’t classed as the same Bubble just because they’ve all seen me and my family?

But if it does - my DH has a brother so how does FIL go about seeing him and his family if he’s classed as being bubbled with my family?

The same with my parents....I have a brother, are they still allowed to see him if they’ve already bubbled with me and potentially my FIL?

I just don’t get it.

OP posts:
EasterIssland · 25/11/2020 07:41

3 houses always the same ones.

LoudBatPerson · 25/11/2020 07:42

It is a bubble of three households and the bubbles are exclusive for the whole period.

So for the 23rd to 27th three households can mix freely (indoors/outdoors/whatever).

None of the house holds can mix with other households over the period at all.

You do not have to be in the bubble with people you live with, but you must move into your bubbles house if you live with people you are not bubbling with.

Notes on what is a household:

  1. A child returning from Uni becomes part of the parents household as soon as they come home.
  1. Single adult households who are in a support bubble with one other household will be considered to be part of that household.

So in summary no households cannot see different bubbles across different days.

You can however meet others not in your bubble outside, socially distanced, if your local tier restrictions allow. However that does mean staying 1/2meters apart and not inside at all.

StealthPolarBear · 25/11/2020 07:42

You accept this year will be different, make sacrifices and try to sort it out in a way that means no one is alone.
The alternative surely is no family mixing at all.

StealthPolarBear · 25/11/2020 07:43

For example fil spends Christmas with his other son and you see your parents.

Alternista · 25/11/2020 07:48

You can continue to meet people not in your Christmas bubble outside your home, according to the rules of the tier you are staying in: see here:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-a-christmas-bubble-with-friends-and-family/making-a-christmas-bubble-with-friends-and-family

Mindymomo · 25/11/2020 07:49

It’s really complicated. If any of your relatives are already in a bubble with you, then that counts as 1 family, so you can see another 2 sets.

I would do your initial plan.

I think that as you are only have one person over each day, they can bubble with another family on another days visit.

I may be wrong though. Good luck. I’ve got the job of ringing around to tell family that as they are going to be with their close family in bubbles, we will not be inviting them to our house this Christmas.

poshme · 25/11/2020 07:58

@Mindymomo no- once someone is in a Christmas bubble, they can't then visit someone else in another bubble, even if a different day. (Unless 'visiting' using rule of 6 and social distancing)

Bluegrass · 25/11/2020 07:59

I think people are mistakenly thinking the 3 family thing will solve everything, they just have to sit down and work out a complicated plan to that everyone eventually gets to see everyone they want.

I don’t think it works like that. If I choose to stay with my parents with my family, and if my sister chooses to stay with my parents with her family, then that is it, that is the 3 family bubble for the Xmas period.

None of us would also be able to mix with any other family or friends (unless in line with local tiering rules, ie outside) as that would create a new bubble. So neither me or my sister would be able to mix with in laws for Xmas this year if we did that.

flissity · 25/11/2020 08:02

Once you find out what tier you are in , this may help?
You could possibly visit indoors (rule of 6 and social distancing) even if not in bubble

LoudBatPerson · 25/11/2020 08:02

I also think people are forgetting the advice is- you can have these 3 house old exclusive bubbles, however please try to limit travel and mixing as much as possible.

The idea is to make sure no one is alone, not find ways around the rules to see as many people as possible.

Not everyone will see everyone this year, but families can avoid anyone being on their own.

Mindymomo · 25/11/2020 08:04

@poshme thanks for this clarification. I now know we definitely won’t be seeing anyone then. At least now I’ve got the right info when I ring to tell relatives.

WotsitWiggle · 25/11/2020 08:08

What others have said - form a bubble with two other households.

So if I want to see my parents and OH wants to see his , we can't also see our siblings because we've already formed 3 households.

Original poster
ThornAmongstRoses · 25/11/2020 08:10

It’s so so complicated - are many people in society going to stick to this if it’s takes up this much head space.

So just to clarify...

My FIL couldn’t see his other son if he visited us on Christmas Day, because he’s in a bubble with my mom and dad even though he hasn’t actually even seen them?

OP posts:
LoudBatPerson · 25/11/2020 08:11

@flissity

Once you find out what tier you are in , this may help? You could possibly visit indoors (rule of 6 and social distancing) even if not in bubble
The published guidelines (for England) state that:

'People can continue to meet people outside their Christmas bubble outdoors according to the the rules in the tier where they live"

It specifically says outdoors not indoors. The rule of six for indoors won't be applying during the Christmas bubble period.

manicinsomniac · 25/11/2020 08:11

It isn't really an exclusive bubble of 3 families at all.

This is from the BBC:
Individual households can split for Christmas. So, if three people are sharing a home they can all go and form separate Christmas bubbles with their families and come back to form a single household again afterwards

So if you saw your parents and sibling and your husband saw his parents and sibling then you can actually have a bubble of 5 households. Which could then extend even further if the inlaws from that extended bubble saw their own families.

It's insane! But allowed.

myhobbyisouting · 25/11/2020 08:13

"So just to clarify...

My FIL couldn’t see his other son if he visited us on Christmas Day, because he’s in a bubble with my mom and dad even though he hasn’t actually even seen them?"

Correct. But don't your plans involve 4 households anyway?

LoudBatPerson · 25/11/2020 08:13

@ThornAmongstRoses

It’s so so complicated - are many people in society going to stick to this if it’s takes up this much head space.

So just to clarify...

My FIL couldn’t see his other son if he visited us on Christmas Day, because he’s in a bubble with my mom and dad even though he hasn’t actually even seen them?

No he couldn't. Unless he saw them outside of the 23-27th period, adhering to the guidelines for the tier which he lives in.
myhobbyisouting · 25/11/2020 08:14

@manicinsomniac but then the OP wouldn't be seeing her husband over the Christmas period.

LoudBatPerson · 25/11/2020 08:15

@manicinsomniac

It isn't really an exclusive bubble of 3 families at all.

This is from the BBC:
Individual households can split for Christmas. So, if three people are sharing a home they can all go and form separate Christmas bubbles with their families and come back to form a single household again afterwards

So if you saw your parents and sibling and your husband saw his parents and sibling then you can actually have a bubble of 5 households. Which could then extend even further if the inlaws from that extended bubble saw their own families.

It's insane! But allowed.

Going by the official guidance published by the government, yes a household can split but that is it for the whole 23-27 period. They become a single household again once they rejoin each other from the 28th onwards. They cannot go back and forth during the bubble period.
jackstini · 25/11/2020 08:15

OP - are you already in a bubble with any of the single parents? If so, they class as one household with you

Ojj37 · 25/11/2020 08:17

@LoudBatPerson

I also think people are forgetting the advice is- you can have these 3 house old exclusive bubbles, however please try to limit travel and mixing as much as possible.

The idea is to make sure no one is alone, not find ways around the rules to see as many people as possible.

Not everyone will see everyone this year, but families can avoid anyone being on their own.

This.
Racoonworld · 25/11/2020 08:22

Unless your in a support bubble with one of them you can’t see them all anyway. It really isn’t difficult to understand. It’s three households only on a bubble for the whole 5 days. No one in that bubble can see anyone else inside during those five days. It’s not designed so you can see your whole family, you Discuss with family who will be in who’s bubble so everyone gets to see someone on Christmas Day.

gurglebelly · 25/11/2020 08:23

3 households form a bubble for the whole period. Those 3 households can only mix with people from within that bubble - so you can't see people on different days unless they are in that bubble

manicinsomniac · 25/11/2020 08:23

Going by the official guidance published by the government, yes a household can split but that is it for the whole 23-27 period. They become a single household again once they rejoin each other from the 28th onwards. They cannot go back and forth during the bubble period

Yes, I know. But 5 days isn't enough, surely. They will come together into one single household and one member could still be carrying Covid they've picked up from a bubble their other household members aren't in. So, unless they isolate for 2 weeks after Christmas, they're effectively still a 5 bubble group, not a 3 bubble.

myhobby - no, true. But households have spent the rest of the year together. If they want to see other family members at Christmas, I can see many taking the opportunity. I'm single so only have my side of the family to worry about but, if I had a husband who wanted to see his family and I wanted to see mine, it seems like an ideal solution (would probably be good to have a break from the rest of the year too, tbh!!) I don't think it should have been allowed as a loophole though.

MRex · 25/11/2020 08:33

Was anybody already in a support bubble?

Elderly are more at risk, so it would be more sensible to think about limiting exposure. FIL could go to DH brother, you have mum or dad, and your brother takes the other parent. There, now nobody is alone, no excessive mixing and everyone can even invite a great aunt or someone else who's alone if needed. Or you have FIL plus one of your parents (whichever he gets on best with), the other parent goes to your brother and DH's brother invites 2 of his in-laws.