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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:
stepawayfromthekeyboard · 15/12/2020 15:37

@MercyBooth

I said yes they would AFTER they could be sure that people have spent the money. Like they did with Eid. Looks like im going to be proved right
Like only introducing lockdown no. 2 after half-term, so families spent the max possible money during half-term. Scientists had been calling for lockdown for weeks before that.
lovelemoncurd · 15/12/2020 15:38

If people had really stopped to think 'is mixing households a good idea at the moment' instead of chucking all sense out of the window then they wouldn't be in a dilemma and upset.

It was never a good idea but Boris didn't have the balls to say so!

timeforanewstart · 15/12/2020 15:38

The simple fact is no matter what people say they cannot police anything full, talk of possibly restricting how far people can travel ? How ? Poilce on every road pulling cars over ? They simply do not have the resources unless they plan on getting army out etc

Mousehole10 · 15/12/2020 15:39

People saying they did it with Eid so it's fair they do it with Christmas too, it's a completely different situation and you can't compare the two events. I know many people celebrate Eid, but the fact is the UK is a christian country and the vast majority celebrate Christmas, whether it's a religious festival to them or not. Schools are closed, many people off work, bank holidays, all for Christmas. Added to the fact that many haven't been able to see family all year so have been holding on to this for a long time. It is a huge decision to change the plans as they know there will be a lot of anger, and many won't comply.

TibetanTerrier · 15/12/2020 15:41

[quote Hayeahnobut]@Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady It's not about the overall case rate, it's about the pressure on hospitals and the number of people over 60 who are testing positive. Hospitals in the North and the Midlands are really struggling, because we don't have the resources that London has.

The BMJ and the Health Service Journal have said that the government cannot be claiming to be protecting the NHS if they allow the plans to go ahead. If the rates continue as they are currently, then by 31 December there will be as many people in hospital as there were at the peak of the first wave. It's downright irresponsible to relax the rules at this time.[/quote]
^^This.

luckylavender · 15/12/2020 15:41

@StatisticalSense - not to people planning to celebrate Eid with their families. The sanctimoniousness on this thread is sickening. Leicester, Manchester thrown to the wolves. Eid cancelled on social media at 10pm the night before. Christmas is 'different', London is 'different'.

MercyBooth · 15/12/2020 15:41

@stepawayfromthekeyboard Quelle surprise.

MercyBooth · 15/12/2020 15:42

@luckylavender I said it was disgusting at the time. Families had spent ££££ on food.

luckylavender · 15/12/2020 15:46

@MercyBooth - they had and it's no way to treat people.

breadwidow · 15/12/2020 15:47

It's shit but it's required. Mixing households indoor will cause a surge in cases. I cancelled my sisters visit. No one vulnerable amongst us but with every scientist and healthcare professional seeing it as a bad idea I couldn't just carry on. We'll have Xmas just us as a family so Xmas will not be cancelled, just the visiting bit. Starmer is right on this one

StatisticalSense · 15/12/2020 15:47

@luckylavender
Christmas is different in that much of the essential infrastructure shuts down over Xmas but remains open for the rest of the year. You simply cannot suddenly tell people who may have no food in the house that they can't go to the place where they were planning on accessing food if places to buy food aren't open.

timeforanewstart · 15/12/2020 15:48

@luckylavender well xmas is different its public bank holidays and celebrated by about 90% of the population , that is a fact
Yes it was awful for people celebrating Eid in the affected areas but it wasn't across the whole country

likeamillpond · 15/12/2020 15:48

Why would Christmas be Ruined?
Are people incapable of enjoying their own company?
We always have Christmas dinner on our own. It's great.
No relatives or forced jollity
Kids can play with their games all day long.
There s less pressure for things to be Perfect.
Parents don't have to drive so can enjoy a drink or two
Watch what they want on tv.
Go for a nice long walks.
People should try it.
To my mind It's so much more relaxing and enjoyable than being cooped up with lots of relatives for hours on end.

Every cloud?

loulouljh · 15/12/2020 15:49

Well they cannot cancel a Christian festival!!! They can attempt to restrict even more the numbers meeting but suspect those who wish to ignore it will carry on regardless.

stovetopespresso · 15/12/2020 15:50

they have to do something otherwise its too easy for Januarys increased death rate to be blamed on Boris. so probably keeping everything the same but some 'stern advice'

ilovesooty · 15/12/2020 15:50

@EasterIssland

I hope they change their mind, it doesnt make sense that we're nt allowed to mix indoors but suddenly next day we're just because it's 23rd
I agree. It is a reckless and irresponsible idea put in place because of the manchild Johnson's fear of unpopularity. It should be scrapped.
Original poster
fedupfrances · 15/12/2020 15:50

@fedupfrances
"It’s sodding ridiculous - myself and DP have barely left the house last week and won’t be going out this week either,

Wow, you haven't been out for a whole two weeks? How have you survived?

other than walks in our local park.

Oh, so you are getting out of the house after all. So you're much better off than all those of us who haven't left our houses for 9 months. Get a grip fgs.

@TibetanTerrier sorry, no idea what you’re on about Hmm

OP posts:
unchienandalusia · 15/12/2020 15:50

the new plan should be one that means no one has to spend christmas day alone. whatever that means for individual families/people... single people can bubble as before but other than that no mixing of households. I think people need to grow up to be honest. it's just one day! can people really not imagine christmas just you and your immediate family can be special? yes of course if you're on your own you should be able to spend it with someone. But millions of people for millions of reasons have to adapt christmas plans every year. Work, illness, travel etc. You make new traditions, and find christmas joy in smaller things.

timeforanewstart · 15/12/2020 15:52

@likeamillpond because for some people it may be the only time of year they see their family , for others struggling with mh It may be needed as well , your fine so its ok for you but please don't think its the same for everyone
Some people may go elsewhere for dinner as they can't afford it themselves

Hardbackwriter · 15/12/2020 15:52

can people really not imagine christmas just you and your immediate family can be special?

To be fair, I imagine people might feel a bit more enthusiastic about spending Christmas just with the people they live with if they hadn't spent months of this year only seeing those people...

breadwidow · 15/12/2020 15:52

[quote StatisticalSense]@luckylavender
Christmas is different in that much of the essential infrastructure shuts down over Xmas but remains open for the rest of the year. You simply cannot suddenly tell people who may have no food in the house that they can't go to the place where they were planning on accessing food if places to buy food aren't open.[/quote]
You can if you tell them soon before shops shut

BlueSpruce · 15/12/2020 15:52

I can’t really work up sympathy for people upset about Christmas being ‘cancelled’, but I don’t think the government ever should have come up with such a stupid idea in the first place. Either we are in these tiers or we aren’t.

And believe me, I miss my parents. The kids miss their grandparents. My dad is in hospital and I can’t visit him. I’ve worked through the whole of lockdown in a frontline role. I’d love to mix, eat, drink and be merry. But it’s just not sensible and it was ridiculous to ever suggest and in fact encourage us all that it was!

treening · 15/12/2020 15:54

I'll be seeing my mum regardless

She has just lost her Dad.

Mousehole10 · 15/12/2020 15:54

@likeamillpond

Why would Christmas be Ruined? Are people incapable of enjoying their own company? We always have Christmas dinner on our own. It's great. No relatives or forced jollity Kids can play with their games all day long. There s less pressure for things to be Perfect. Parents don't have to drive so can enjoy a drink or two Watch what they want on tv. Go for a nice long walks. People should try it. To my mind It's so much more relaxing and enjoyable than being cooped up with lots of relatives for hours on end.

Every cloud?

That's great for you if that's what you enjoy doing. But for so many Christmas is abut family, sharing, seeing loved ones they haven't seen for a while. For us, it's our baby's first Christmas, and a chance to see our parents who haven't seen us or their grandchild for a while (due to covid restrictions). Christmas to me is about family, and I mean more than my immediate household. Apart from that, we haven't got any christmas food on order, haven't sent presents as we are seeing them,. Christmas will most definitely be ruined if we can't go. But we will be going anyway.
cologne4711 · 15/12/2020 15:54

Oh, so you are getting out of the house after all. So you're much better off than all those of us who haven't left our houses for 9 months

Unless you are housebound nobody has needed to stay indoors for 9 months. Not even CEV.