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Original poster

Are they really going to cancel Christmas?

718 replies

fedupfrances · 15/12/2020 13:59

And if they do, will loads of people just break the rules anyway?

It’s sodding ridiculous - myself and DP have barely left the house last week and won’t be going out this week either, other than walks in our local park. My parents have also been at home pretty much constantly. None of us has Covid 19 and the risk of catching it if we get together at Christmas is practically zero. So fed up with this shite!

OP posts:
Benjispruce2 · 15/12/2020 16:38

Ok so what were you having for Christmas dinner then and where do you store it?

Elfieishere · 15/12/2020 16:38

@ThelmaNotLouise

I get that people are upset about the prospect of them tightening the rules and I feel fed up too, but it's kind of frightening to see how many people are saying "sod it, we'll do what we want" and will meet up regardless. Are you seriously not worried about an explosion of cases in January, like there has been this month in America after Thanksgiving in Nov? That by NYE there could be as many Covid patients occupying NHS beds as there were in April and loads of operations and appts will be cancelled again? Are you prepared to home teach your kids again if things get so bad and schools have to close again? You all seem to think this is a problem that's currently only affecting London and the south and therefore the rest of the UK should carry on regardless, but if people from there visit relatives up and down the country they are going to be taking the virus with them!
No I’m not worried at all about January and yes il keep my kids home if I have to.

I don’t think it’s only something that is affecting london but I’m past caring.

myhobbyisouting · 15/12/2020 16:39

"So you don't want to risk going shopping but you're happy to mix households. As I said you can still get online deliveries until the 19th or 20th so you don't need to go shopping anyway."

@Belladonna12 Hmm back atcha.

If you had RTFT you'd know that we are all isolating including the children and have been since Friday. Otherwise, no, we personally wouldn't have mixed with FIL in particular.

treening · 15/12/2020 16:39

Ok so what were you having for Christmas dinner then and where do you store it?

I go to my mum's every year and she has a massive fridge and freezer.

Not that difficult to understand surely?

Elfieishere · 15/12/2020 16:39

@likeamillpond

Let's face it. The food and all the trimmings is mainly for the adults. On Xmas day, children are ALL about the toys.
Not my son.

He would pick food over toys any day.

Bayleaf25 · 15/12/2020 16:40

I managed to get a Sainsbury’s click and collect for next week (only booked it this afternoon) and my local butcher said they’ll have loads of hams, sausages etc for collection on Xmas eve (no need to book).

RedRiverShore · 15/12/2020 16:40

@Benjispruce2

As for people not having any food in, I think that’s pretty poor planning as all along things have changed at the last minute. We are in a pandemic after all. We are at home but if we’d planned to go elsewhere I’d have still got a small turkey or crown just in case. That’s what freezers are for.
Not everyone can afford to just get a spare small turkey or crown to pop in the freezer, just in case
ThelmaNotLouise · 15/12/2020 16:41

Elfieishere I'm sorry you feel like that. I hope you and your loved ones stay safe regardless.

Benjispruce2 · 15/12/2020 16:41

As others have said, you need to improvise then and make something else. A roast dinner is mainly vegetables and gravy with whatever you choose, be it sausages or turkey or chicken. Not that difficult surely!

myhobbyisouting · 15/12/2020 16:42

Yes @Benjispruce2 privilege.

Both the freezer and the electricity to run it and the ability to have a "just in case, standby Christmas dinner" inside it. You can't even see that it's a privilege Sad

walksen · 15/12/2020 16:43

"If you are single and not in a support bubble, you could form one with your parents if they are not in another support bubble, that's is what we will do with single DS"

Parents are in Wales and so it is difficult to bubble with them except during holidays. I've also had to avoid forming a bubble. Initially this was due to so many cases in my workplace making it high risk and since then as it means I have increased chance of having to self isolate and I don't get paid if I have to take time off. Pretty much it has been work then home for 3 months. Was just hoping for a respite before doing it again January to marchSad

Benjispruce2 · 15/12/2020 16:43

I said I would get a small turkey NOT everyone should. You should prepare though. Make a curry or whatever you can but make sure you have food in just in case.

Benjispruce2 · 15/12/2020 16:44

Oh ffs some ridiculous comments on here. Christmas dinner is just a meal! If you cook food every other bloody day, you can cook on 25th !Hmm

Belladonna12 · 15/12/2020 16:45

Not everyone can afford to just get a spare small turkey or crown to pop in the freezer, just in case

You don't need to get a spare one. If the rules change you can go to the shops and get one. There are always plenty of turkeys left and even if there weren't you could always have something different.

Popcornriver · 15/12/2020 16:45

We've decided to stay home. Maybe a couple of down the garden path doorstep visits to drop off some gifts. Seems lots on MN are planning the same but it doesn't seem like the popular opinion elsewhere. And nobody seems to understand the Christmas bubble idea. I've spoke to loads of people who seem to think it's OK to see a couple of households on Christmas Eve, another Christmas day and then a couple more on Boxing Day. We've avoided the virus so far (somehow because the secondary school is full of it) but there's no chance we'll avoid it in January after all the mixing. I hope we have a full couple of weeks lockdown or schools/workplaces will be a complete disaster. There's already too many hospitals struggling.

myhobbyisouting · 15/12/2020 16:46

Stop @Benjispruce2 it's knocking me sick having seen what I've seen this year in my town. In fact, the last few years.

Some people are truly on their knees. To read on the internet that they should've just been better prepared is like a kick in the guts for them....especially if they were expecting and looking forward to Christmas dinner and a bubble for 5 days and now it hangs in the balance.

Belladonna12 · 15/12/2020 16:46

@Benjispruce2

Oh ffs some ridiculous comments on here. Christmas dinner is just a meal! If you cook food every other bloody day, you can cook on 25th !Hmm
Yes, it's bizarre the fuss some people are making. You would think that no shops will be open between now and the 25th.
likeamillpond · 15/12/2020 16:46

@ancientgran

Pizza 'pretty shit for Kids'? I wish my parents had given us pizza on Christmas day! When mine were kids chilli was the most popular Christmas dinner. DH and I had turkey, I made a chilli Christmas Eve and the kids had that. I thought everyone should have something they wanted on Christmas Day. If we are alone this year we are thinking of having a curry for a change.
Yes make it different. One to stand out.
treening · 15/12/2020 16:47

Benji demonstrating perfectly the lack of ability of many on this site to think that the way they do things and the way they live is applicable to everyone.

Lostinacloud · 15/12/2020 16:47

Just remember through all of this that January is the time when hospitals always reach full capacity with the normal respiratory illnesses that circulate at Christmas and during the winter months. The government will be keen to blame it all on 5 days where some of the population took their own decision to see their family over Christmas but the overflowing hospitals are inevitable.

Lavanderrose · 15/12/2020 16:48

They can’t do a U-turn now it’s to late notice, many people have already brought their Christmas food if they are hosting and plans have already been made. Schools will be shut, a lot of people will be on annual Leave so the risk of spreading it around is decreased. If your in tier 2 basically nothing has changed for you, if your in tier 3 then it’s like being in tier 2 for a week. Just because families will be meeting doesn’t mean all the measures fly out the window, shouldn’t ‘Hands. Face Space’ still be in place.

Iliketeaagain · 15/12/2020 16:48

I think the government message needs to be really clear. That your bubble is just that and the rules don't mean that you can mix with 2 different households each day, that you choose your bubble and none of said bubble mix with anyone else.

My mum is pretty hot on following the rules, but when I spoke to her yesterday, she hadn't put together that there should be one bubble and that's it.

In her head, she was allowed to see my sibling one day, my other sibling another day and then another relative the day after. I had to explain what the bubble rules actually were.

I do wonder if that's part of the issue - people are hearing "rules are relaxed" and not actually hearing what the advice around household bubbles is. Whether the rules are right or wrong, I think they are being misinterpreted and families / friends think if they just meet up with different people on different days then they can just have a different bubble every day.

treening · 15/12/2020 16:48

You would think that no shops will be open between now and the 25th.

I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to set foot in a supermarket between now and Christmas thanks.

It feels a lot less safe to do that than it does to see my mum, frankly.

ancientgran · 15/12/2020 16:48

ThelmaNotLouise, I'm in South Devon tier 2, arguably we could go to tier 1 tomorrow as Devon as a whole is low but where I am, South Hams/Teignbridge/Torbay is half the rate of the rest of the county but I'm hoping we don't. I'm hoping staying in tier 2 will help with the post Christmas spike. My son and DIL are working on Covid wards, all I want for Christmas is for them to be safe and well and not totally exhausted.

Itisasecret · 15/12/2020 16:48

Yes they will and I should hope so.

I don’t get why people are so precious about Christmas dinner, I really don’t.

Interesting to see many harping on about privilege and not being able to afford to change plans last minute. The alternative in January is a very long closure of schools for the working parents out there.

That will be happening 100% if this shit show goes ahead.

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