Do you support this tier 0 over Christmas?

[notevenat20]

I can see why it might be popular, but won’t it just kill a lot of the people we love the most?

The problem is the people who aren’t sticking to the 3 household bubble wouldn’t stick to any other rules either. Those that are choosing not to see people or being careful about who they see aren’t the ones who’ll cause the problems down the line.

Although they’ve also just said that Gove will meet the devolved administrations about it today, so if they’re right, it doesn’t sound like a standard “keeping it under review”.

@hopeanddriftwood

Don't apologise I'm being a snappy bastard. I'm sorry.

Literally the o my thing keeping me going to was the thought of a relatively normal Christmas with my family. No travelling, no crazy parties. Just my family, my brothers family and my parents.

My dad has stage 4 cancer and we don't know what will happen there.

I just can't take much more.

No, I don’t and we have opted as a family not to mix.
Unfortunately it will be the most feckless in society that carry on, stretch the envelope to suit themselves and prolong Covid for everyone.

We have family in Germany and wish we had followed their lead instead.

I think it’s crazy.

I know some that will be staying at home and I know others that are traveling to stay with family and spending Christmas Day with 3 or more households.

I know I shouldn’t judge but I do because I can see January being full of of people wishing they hadn’t gone to visit family because many people could get seriously ill or die in the coming months just because people couldn’t spend one Christmas at home. I understand there are people that don’t want to be alone I really do but there’s a huge difference to having a single person join another single person for Christmas dinner and 12+ people from various households spending 3-5 days mixing with each other.

What ever happens in the coming days will make no difference, if they change the rules people will just ignore them anyway.

I for one will be sticking to the rules in our tier (2) and we will be staying home for Christmas.

Unfortunately it will be the most feckless in society that carry on, stretch the envelope to suit themselves and prolong Covid for everyone

This is absolute rubbish and very unfair

There is a u-turn a-coming, I am certain!

No. And I'm relaxed about covid but its either dangerous to mix or its not. It doesn't become less dangerous for 3 days only. I am not mixing with my elderly family members but will see friends outdoors.

They encouraged people to buy their train tickets iirc a couple of weeks ago, are these people going to get refunds.

I don't agree that Christmas is 'largely cultural not religious'- it is the main Christian religious festival!

Nope that would be Easter

Of course it's largely cultural. Do you really think the majority of people who celebrate Christmas go to church?

My parents are in their 70s and live nearby.
We've seen them regularly for walks and in the garden during the summer, but we haven't met them indoors since early March. We keep changing our plans for Xmas. DH and I wfh so our "weak link" is primary-age DS. My parents only go out for walks and get all their shopping, newspapers etc delivered.

We originally decided to have Xmas dinner with them, with us spaced as far as possible from them, as we all felt the psychological boost was important to everyone. We're in the South East and in view of the rising rates, we very reluctantly decided not to meet inside at Xmas. But then last week, a positive case closed DS's class till the end of term. So we decided to make the most of the situation and go back to our plan to meet up. DS is very upset that he's missing the last week of school and all the Xmas activities, but the chance to see his grandparents is keeping him going. He'll be devastated if that is taken away.

@RedRiverShore

They encouraged people to buy their train tickets iirc a couple of weeks ago, are these people going to get refunds.

I’m wondering this too.

@Orangeblossom77777

I don't agree that Christmas is 'largely cultural not religious'- it is the main Christian religious festival!

Easter is way more important in the Christian calendar than Christmas is. More people celebrate the cultural Christmas - Santa, presents etc than attend a religious service on Christmas Day. The roots may be Christian, but the celebration is more cultural in the UK.

We usually have the Nativity / Church service for school, then family go to Midnight mass as well...so yes think it is pretty religious! The families from school go as well. Not sure how people can think Christmas is not religious...

Maybe it depends on the society around but here most people would go to a church service.

Meh, it's not particularly religious is it? Weekly church attendance has never been lower, most people don't bother. People only get into the swing of things when it has been grafted on to good old pagan drinking and feasting.

@FourTeaFallOut

Meh, it's not particularly religious is it? Weekly church attendance has never been lower, most people don't bother. People only get into the swing of things when it has been grafted on to good old pagan drinking and feasting.

Too true. And buying.

Schools might to a nativity, but not that many do midnight mass.

Midnight mass, fair enough. But unless those people regularly attend, it's just a tradition IMO.
I would argue that Santa, Elf on the shelf etc etc are completely secular and more. people do those kinds of things than attend Church at Christmas.

Easter is more important than Christmas in the religious calendar, but I don't think we should under estimate the importance of Christmas.

That said, there is absolutely nothing that the government can do to cancel Christmas. They may limit it a little bit more, but people can still celebrate the reasons for the day, even if it's in much smaller groups.

We will go to church in Christmas Eve to sing Carols in the courtyard. We won't see family on Christmas Day but we will still have dinner with all the trimmings and we will still exchange gifts. Some of that will be done on Skype so close family can be there albeit remotely.

Government can't make the decisions around personal circumstances.

If you think it may be the last Christmas you will have with a parent, then be a grown up and make the right decision and take responsibility for what you are doing instead of wanting the govt to shape policies around your personal circumstances. Noone is going to criticise you for seeing family.

If you plan to meet up with you parents, inlaws, l your siblings, aunties and uncles because you always do, then come on get a grip and start thinking of others.

If people need to travel across country to see their family bit are still sticking to the rules, then they have just as much right as you, even if your parents are just around the corner.

The govt rules for Christmas have not stopped families meeting if they have always planned to do so not matter the rule. It has however meant that more families are now going to meet and this will lead to more deaths.

Unless you can fully self isolate for a long period of time before mixing, then it is not risk free to mix.

@Covidnomore

Candles I don't that is selfish at all.

But there will be much mixing going on that really isn't needed.

Its about getting the balance right.

Exactly. I feel it's situations like Candles that need to have a bit of leniency over Christmas, it shouldn't really be an opportunity for big families to mingle for days on end getting drunk. Just because we've been told we can, doesnt mean we should..

That's just my opinion

@notevenat20

I can see why it might be popular, but won’t it just kill a lot of the people we love the most?

Yet you constantly appear on or start school threads insisting that schools MUST remain open, whatever the cost? Bizarre.

You don't want to kill the people you love but you're happy for teachers to have 150 teens a day in their small, Covid unsafe classrooms.

Are your concerns for your loved ones related to how unsafe schools have been this term? And do you think teachers should still go back into classrooms after this Christmas mixing?

I think there will be some form of U turn announced. You only have to look at Germany, The Netherlands, France, something coming in Italy etc.

What people make of it and how it may change their actions remain to be seen. We are only meeting one family of 3 (2 of us) outside Boxing Day for outside BBQ come rain or shine. Heaters, fire pit etc.

Yet you constantly appear on or start school threads insisting that schools MUST remain open, whatever the cost? Bizarre.

It is tiring how petty the teachers' common room voice on MN is. Are you all stalking your ex-partners in real life too?

Are your concerns for your loved ones related to how unsafe schools have been this term? And do you think teachers should still go back into classrooms after this Christmas mixing?

I will answer because you won't be the only person reading. Please feel free not to reply.

I worry about infecting my elderly relatives because I don't want to kill them.