Anyone else disappointed Christmas is NOT cancelled?

[disneydatknee]

2 points I want to cover here. Firstly, when the 2nd lockdown came into play across the UK we kind of resigned ourselves to the fact we wouldn't be able to spend christmas with our extended families. We were actually relieved to not have to commit to any plans and just spend christmas with my husband and children. Secondly, covid doesnt just take a holiday. I'm not convinced it's such a good idea to mix with other families over the course of 5 days for the sake of saving christmas. My parents are putting the pressure on for us to visit on boxing day now that restrictions have been lifted. I was kind of looking forward to a quiet christmas this year just us and the children. Anyone else not keen on it being a "normal" christmas this year? I know it's a selfish opinion before anyone points that out. Shit. This has been a strange year!

Our Christmas is the same as usual, just us and adult DS staying over, I never have any difficulty each year saying no to MIL and SIL that want to see us at Christmas, it's quite easy OP, you just say no.

So no Christmas shouldn't be cancelled, just say no

Sadly people will do whatever they want over Xmas regardless of what rules are in place.

For me it’s not worth the risk.

We are doing Xmas on our own this year and my parents are fine with that, they are in their 70s so will have a quiet Christmas with video calls.

We will do a big get together when life is more settled.

I don’t blame anyone for doing differently though.

I think it's a pathetic attempt from Boris to look like the saviour of Christmas. It's irresponsible and nonsensical. We've just been in another lockdown but hey, ignore it all for Christmas because covid will totally take a break then too.

I think part of the problem is that government know people would have done it anyway so in relaxing the rules they think they are still keeping some sort of control. In reality we should have just kept things the same and let people make their own judgements. I won't be seeing my family this Christmas because it would mean vulnerable members mixing with kids and keyworkers. And my family's health is more important to me than one day and a meal. If you have no vulnerable people and you've mostly been working from home then the risk is smaller so I can see why people would do that. I know a lot of people who aren't even thinking with that level of common sense though and will happily mix their schoolkids with their elderly grandparents.

I've been so saddened to see how selfish and idiotic people have been throughout this. I'm so so sick of seeing covid deniers promote their conspiracy theories all over social media, it's so disrespectful to those who have lost loved ones.

Just say no! "They are putting pressure on us to go for Boxing Day"

Say no!

Completely agree with the OP. All the Christmas rules just make a mockery of people not being able to see loved ones in hospital, not to be able to hold a hand of a grieving widow etc. It's as if that isn't as important as being together pulling crackers.

Really confused. The guidelines tell you you can mix 3 households, they dont mandate that. So just say you are thinking of your parents' health and not mixing them with your dc who have been in school.

No, for us it's not so much about celebrating Christmas, it's about getting through it. We've had too many bereavements around Christmas and too many people now not with us who should have been in the normal scheme of things. It's a very difficult, emotive time. I'm glad that I can have my small family over without worrying about a knock on the door.

I'm really surprised at how many people don't want to see family and don't feel able to sort out out. This year is your year!!! You can choose to do it differently and make Christmas closer to how you want it to be going forward, so that you don't have to hope for a national disaster to do it next year for you too.

So don't have a "normal" Christmas if you feel that strongly about it. If you want to stay at home in your pyjamas then do that.

Not keen on this desire to tell others what they should and should not be doing, within the law.

@NorbertMeubles

Completely agree with the OP. All the Christmas rules just make a mockery of people not being able to see loved ones in hospital, not to be able to hold a hand of a grieving widow etc. It's as if that isn't as important as being together pulling crackers.

The fact we can't see my MIL as she is in hospital makes me more determined to see my parents.

@RaspberryCoulis

So don't have a "normal" Christmas if you feel that strongly about it. If you want to stay at home in your pyjamas then do that.

Not keen on this desire to tell others what they should and should not be doing, within the law.

I'm not telling anyone what to do. But I think that the law as it stands will lead to people dying unnecessarily.

“If we have contact with too many people before Christmas and subsequently it turns out to have been the last celebration with the grandparents, then we will certainly have been neglectful, and we just should not do that,” - Angela Merkel

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/09/angela-merkel-reduce-contacts-now-or-risk-losing-loved-ones-germany

Though interestingly Germany's rules for Christmas itself are actually (I think) less restrictive than ours - gatherings of up to 10, not including under-14s, from any number of households, allowed from 23 December to 1 January and as far as I can see it could be a different 10 people every day, so in practice they're also acting like (to use one of the current most irritatingly over-used phrases) 'Covid takes a holiday'...

I'm pretty sure there are a fair few women who were hoping to enjoy Christmas Day without having to cook for and host lots of people. Women who would like to spend a more leisured day, and see the kids playing with their presents rather than have to be in the kitchen

So do that then if that's what you want. You can have that any year you like, you don't need to wait for government instructions to have a quiet Christmas. You just have to open your mouth and tell people that's what you're doing.

That much derided Morrisons advert from a few years ago with the miserable mother martyring herself by doing everything for a massive Christmas for her extended family who sat around waiting for it all to happen had a lot of truth in it.

Barbara of course you can, hard though it may be to disappoint relatives. But the pressure is on this year.

Noticeably those saying they don’t want to spread covid over Christmas are those who have a partner and kids so won’t be on their own and are critical of those who long for some human companionship over Christmas.

@disneydatknee if you were single would you be so sanctimonious and spend Christmas alone at the end of a year where you’ve spent most of it alone?. It’s very convenient to be smug about ‘not spreading covid’ when you’re not in a situation where you are struggling.

I understand why people need to travel to see loved ones. I’d hope they’re taking as much precautions as they can (ie isolating before or getting a test).

Yes I'm disappointed in the decision. I think its incredibly stupid and ill conceived

I understand why people need to travel to see loved ones. I’d hope they’re taking as much precautions as they can (ie isolating before or getting a test).

Can't isolate on account of the fact that I need to work.

I disagree.
I will be travelling over Christmas BUT I didn't travel during the summer, I did not 'eat out to help out', I am not doing in-store shopping, I am not going to garden centers, I haven't been in a supermarket since March, haven't been to the Post office, haven't taken public transport (walk instead, not drive) etc.
So you could say that my 'Covid print' is fairly small.

I'm sure some people who believe we shouldn't be able to mix over Christmas did some of the things listed above. Why conveniently ignore that they also contributed to the spread?

Basically, we all make sacrifices and choose not to sacrifice over other things.

It was far more sensible to see family and eat out in the summer when cases were very low and kids had not been in school for months. That’s what we did and in-laws were happy to see us then.

They won’t see us now. Cases rising the quickest in secondary school age children.

Now is the worst time to be mixing, Just for the sake of Christmas. Summer was far safer. I’m glad I saw family then.

And your risk assessment about spread is way off if you think popping to the garden centre and supermarket is risky yet it’s ok to spend days indoors with multiple households over Christmas.

It’s down to overall choice but let’s not pretend it’s less risky than those other activities. It’s just not.

@madcatladyforever

Yes I'm very disappointed, the selfish people who travel all over the country to see everyone are going to cause hundreds of new deaths and a further lockdown in January that will destroy the small businesses still left. But so long as you enjoy christmas that's all that matters right? I'm traumatised this year after a watching so many people die and see how many families are devastated, I'm thinking of retiring from the NHS a couple of years early when this is all over to preserve my sanity. People are selfish arses and for the ost part I want nothing to do with them.

Totally resonate with this.

I'm not going anywhere anyway but those who are planning on mixing (who currently follow the rules strictly) need to have a word with themselves about why they are following the rules!

I kind of get it. We decided with my DH not to visit his parents over Christmas, which we would have done in usual times - it felt a little meaner to stick with the decision once it had been announced it would be "allowed". I get that it being "allowed" makes it less comfortable because one has to make one's own risk assessment and decision.

On the other hand, I think there is a danger of getting into a nanny state mindset where we need governmental permission to do anything. It already amazes me to see how ideologically passive people have become (and I don't exclude myself from that!).

Yes, I wish they hadn't given the virus a break. Everyone is struggling, but the impact of stricter and longer restrictions in 2021 is going to have serious consequences.

Not being able to socialise has hit those that need support or live on their own the hardest, but they would still have their extended household bubbles to alleviate isolation.

Really worried about the impact on education in the New Year.

@dealtron many people weren't able to though. I was shielding until the middle of August, then had only a few weeks before we went into local lockdown, then the firebreak, now we are here. It's not that straightforward...though I'm glad you did. Sensible if possible that's for sure.

Yes true @housemdwaswrong so many areas were put in to lockdown at the end of August and understandable not to see people until then if shielding.

I guess it’s all about assessing personal risk. The risk felt lower in July just as we came out of lockdown and yes we were lucky to see family then.