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Original poster

If next Christmas is like this one will you still be following rules?

166 replies

elleps · 25/12/2020 18:50

Miserable pessimistic post alert. Feel free to hide the thread!

Just wondering who would carry on with following on with these rules if we are in the same boat next year?

I can completely see things staying like this for many months to come. People will say otherwise, that there’s a vaccine and that things are going the right way. But then nobody thought in March that we would be sat like this on Christmas Day. So I don’t hold out much hope.

Things can’t carry on like this beyond March surely, even if the virus is still spreading as it is?

OP posts:
timeforawine · 25/12/2020 19:20

I can’t think about being like this next Christmas or it’ll sink me. I’m desperately hoping for an announcement soon approving the Oxford vaccine 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

AIMD · 25/12/2020 19:23

I’m not strictly following the rules this year. We’re having parent over Boxing Day, so would probably bend them of still in place next year.

However I’m not going about having house parties or anything and I don’t think I would break the rules to that extent even next year.

rollinggreenhills · 25/12/2020 19:36

Whatever rules are in place, then yes I dare say I would.

Lindy2 · 25/12/2020 19:51

If the rules are, as they are now, precautions to try and keep families from infecting each other with a nasty and dangerous virus, then yes I will follow the advice to keep my family and myself safe.

DH has 2 friends with Coronavirus right now. 1 is in hospital the other is very poorly at home. I will keep acting in a manner to try and prevent the spread of this illness. To not do so would be foolish and selfish.

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 25/12/2020 19:51

Yes, absolutely. We will follow the rules/guidance whilst it’s in place.

We have had a lovely day despite the circumstances and can do so again if need be. I’d rather people had their health and lives than Christmas.

Tellmelies65 · 25/12/2020 19:53

Yes definitely I wouldn’t risk making someone seriously unwell as hard as it is.

Brobbles · 25/12/2020 19:58

I could quite happily not eat in restaurants or go to gyms or pubs or lots of things like that - although it’s obviously not great for businesses I feel it doesn’t personally affect me too much. But I won’t go another year without seeing my family.

I think if things carried on much longer they would have to stop the incessant lockdowns and move to safety guidelines eg you can see your family if you want to but we advise that you take X, Y, X precautions, try to isolate as much as possible two weeks beforehand etc. I think they’d also need to make track and trace work a lot better and enforce compliance somehow.

But we would also have to make our peace with the fact that if the virus was still spreading, doctors and nurses would eventually have to start making some very difficult decisions about who not to treat as hospitals would be at capacity. People would be turned away. And I’m sure there would be uproar when this happened and that might then make people more likely to stay away from family etc because you’d be risking them catching it and then not being treated.

DianaOfTheLakes · 25/12/2020 20:01

I'm an introvert and can work from home. So it hasn't really affected us recently. Schools being closed were difficult but not impossible. Both holidays were cancelled, so I've missed those.

I worry about wider society though, especially younger people who seem to be losing out on starting to build financial security for themselves. I wonder if there will be increased divisions between the old (often living on decent pensions in mortgage free homes) who are more likely to be ill or die from COVID and the young (often in insecure housing and insecure work) who are unlikely to be physically affected by the virus. I wonder if resentment is starting to build.

TheDailyCarbuncle · 25/12/2020 20:03

Questions like this genuinely make me wonder at how little people seem to understand how the economy works. If rules did carry on at this level for a whole year then covid would be the absolute least of anyone's worries - the country would be so entirely decimated that the main issue would be fucking starvation. Honestly, are people just totally disconnected from reality? Some smug lockdowners are going to get a massive shock when they start to realise in 2021 that they've 'stayed safe' by setting fire to their whole fucking lives.

Siepie · 25/12/2020 20:20

Nope. DS was born this year and hasn't met any relatives, as they live abroad. We/they would have to quarantine 10-14 days in each direction, and none of us can take that long off work. I assume with rapid tests quarantine will keep reducing, but if it doesn't we'd probably end up breaking it.

loulouljh · 25/12/2020 20:21

Nope...cure worse than the disease already...

southeastdweller · 25/12/2020 20:28

I’m not following them now anyway.
I can’t imagine this will be over in twelve months time, not the way things are going.

BlueCheckedTeatowel · 25/12/2020 20:28

Yes, I have had possibly the best Christmas day of my adult life.

Christmas day we alternate family each year so they change "slot". Last year it went:

10am-12pm - DHs mum and siblings for breakfast
12pm-5pm - my DM and siblings for lunch
6pm-? - my DF and random family/friends for drinks and games

Usually I spend the run up to christmas cleaning and stocking up on 20 different peoples favourite snacks and drinks from far flung shops.Then we have the morning group for late breakfast, hoover and clean up the mess and do the dishes, then in comes the second lot for dinner. My DM is a nightmare and doesnt get on with anyone. She is embarrasing and makes snide comments and remarks to people despite offering me no help or money towards christmas (not expected but then she acts like its her event and likes people to thank her for me inviting them Hmm ). She also likes to inform people that if it wasnt for "my blue" they would be alone without food. No they wouldnt, they would probably be at someone elses house or just cook themselves. So DM is told that on "Her years" for dinner she can come at 12pm and see the DC and have dinner but then 5pm is kickout time, before the third group come in the evening. I have 3 siblings she can visit and also she has multiple sisters who welcome her.

5pm-6pm I clean up, put out the snacks and begin cooking evening buffet and throw the hoover around if needed. Then run for a shower while DH welcomes people. The years we have had anyone overlap with my DM she has ruined it and thrown a strop (one year asking BIL to leave because he poured himself a wine and not her). So I dont mind people overlapping with each other as long as its not my DM (she has to leave as its just not fair on anyone else).

This year I got up at 10am with the teens, opened gifts in my pyjamas, played 3 board games, began dinner around 1pm and now they are playing on their xbox downstairs while I consider a bath. I havnt even put the dishwasher on yet. Its been heaven. We have been away for christmas before which was lovely but not as comfortable as this as it wasnt in my own house. I asked how this compared to normal christmas' and they said they were sad family couldnt be here but its been really good and they want to do it again.

MadameBlobby · 25/12/2020 20:29

Probably as I won’t want to give it to my parents.

Mousehole10 · 25/12/2020 20:32

No absolutely not. I gave up this Christmas, tier 4 so couldn't see anyone outside our household. I'm not doing it again. I will be seeing family from spring, once the most vulnerable have been vaccinated. No one can stop me doing that, I don't agree with it being illegal now but will stick to it until then, but no more.

Dongdingdong · 25/12/2020 20:38

Hell no.

Crazycatlady83 · 25/12/2020 20:39

@TheDailyCarbuncle

Questions like this genuinely make me wonder at how little people seem to understand how the economy works. If rules did carry on at this level for a whole year then covid would be the absolute least of anyone's worries - the country would be so entirely decimated that the main issue would be fucking starvation. Honestly, are people just totally disconnected from reality? Some smug lockdowners are going to get a massive shock when they start to realise in 2021 that they've 'stayed safe' by setting fire to their whole fucking lives.
100% this!
Luckyonetwo · 25/12/2020 20:39

No

AcornAutumn · 25/12/2020 20:41

@TheDailyCarbuncle

Questions like this genuinely make me wonder at how little people seem to understand how the economy works. If rules did carry on at this level for a whole year then covid would be the absolute least of anyone's worries - the country would be so entirely decimated that the main issue would be fucking starvation. Honestly, are people just totally disconnected from reality? Some smug lockdowners are going to get a massive shock when they start to realise in 2021 that they've 'stayed safe' by setting fire to their whole fucking lives.
Agree. I think the OP is just theorising aboit how far people will go though, I think she gets that lockdowns are worse than covid.
MessAllOver · 25/12/2020 20:41

No. Life is for living. We none of us know what is round the corner or how many 'tomorrows' we will have. I'm afraid of my parents catching covid (DF is not in the best of health) but I'm also increasingly afraid of missing out on time and occasions I won't get back with them. When the first lockdown began, we could cope because it was six weeks. It's now been a year. If god forbid something happened to them in the next few months, I'd never forgive myself for the family times which we've missed.

TheGreatWave · 25/12/2020 20:46

Nope, people as a general whole will not do this for another year.

I’d rather people had their health and lives than Christmas.

I'd rather DH (at least) had been able to see his Mam on her birthday and Christmas Day, but he couldn't as she is in hospital. So no Christmas, poor health and possibly not another Christmas. Keep coming out with the soundbites though if it makes you feel better.

Original poster
elleps · 25/12/2020 20:53

Yes @AcornAutumn and @TheDailyCarbuncle I think the devastation to the economy is yet to be seen and yes covid will be a distant and even preferable time for some. Agree it is crazy people think life will gone on like before after the (ongoing) damage that is being done.

OP posts:
Bacter · 25/12/2020 20:56

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Hotpinkangel19 · 25/12/2020 20:57

Can I ask why people think that once the vaccine is given, it will be over, it doesn't stop people passing it to each other does it? Just reduces the severity of the symptoms of the person who has COVID?

Original poster
elleps · 25/12/2020 21:02

@Hotpinkangel19 exactly. I fear people assuming ‘this will be over’ by spring are in for a big shock

OP posts: